You're My Medicine - A Hollywood Undead Fanfic
by MayriahLee
Summary: Through a strange turn of events, Emmy finds herself falling for a man named Danial, who she meet delivering a package at a Hollywood Undead concert. Slowly, they fall for each other and she begins to trust him. However, Emmy feels like he is hiding something and as ghosts from her past come back, Emmy has to confide in this new man in her life, risking everything, even her sanity.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - Another Way Out**

She groaned and rearranged her messenger bag on her shoulder.

Yup, she was lost. Again. The directions had been so easy! Three lefts, two rights, a straight hall, last door on the left, then two more rights and another left. Or had it been two lefts, three right, the straight hall way, first door on the right and then two more lefts and one last right? She really should have written them down.

"Deliver this package, Emmy," she mocked her friend's voice, "It'll be easy, Emmy, a quick in and out, no problem at all. Yeah, right."

Sure, getting in had been the easy part. Show security her pass, follow the signs and little directions to the drop off and then leave. Simple as that. Until she had to leave. She groaned and once again cursed her horrible sense of direction.

That was the last favor she ever did a favor Maciyia again. She barked a quiet laugh, "Yeah right, the last until she begs me to do just one little easy thing for her," she huffed, "Again."

She saw a sign hanging from the ceiling and had to push her copper bangs back to read it. Pushing her bangs back blocked her view and she didn't see the guy walking out in front of her until they had collided.

"I am so sorry!" she gushed as she gathered the things that had fallen from her bag, "I was trying to read a sign and I wasnt' watching where I was going. It doesn't help that I was lost too, and I'm just so sorry. I didn't -"

She stopped talking when she looked up at the person she had knocked over and was struck speechless. In his hand he held a golden mask that had dropped when they had fallen and she couldn't help but stare. He's eyes. They were a stunning green-grey combination that held her gaze. He was so handsome! Messy, shortish dark brown hair, straight nose with a septum piercing, strong jaw with a day's worth of stubble. He was wearing a black, long sleeved shirt with black suspenders attached to a pair of warn jeans, and a hoodie with the hood popped up over his head.

"I, uh," Emmy stuttered as she stared dumbfounded up at the very attractive man standing in front of her, "Um, uh, I, uh."

"Are you okay?" he asked as he stood, holding out his hand, "You didn't hurt anything did you?"

Emmy blushed darkly and thought she'd swoon from his voice alone, "I'm fine," she tried to say strongly but it came out weak and shaky, "Just a little out of sorts is all. I lost my way trying to leave and I have a horrid sense of direction."

He smiled and chuckled and Emmy's stomach did flips, this guy was too hot for his own good, "Well, I'll help you find you're way," he said still holding out his hand, "Do you need help up?"

"Oh!" she shook her head and made play that she was looking around to make sure she had picked everything to hide her ever-present blush, "Yes, thank you."

Of course he was just helping her out, she chided herself, he was probably a stage hand and would get fired if anyone were back here. He wasn't interested in her in the least, that was made evident by the lack of attention he paid her.

Then why does he keep holding your hand, a thought tingled at the back of her mind.

It was obvious, she scolded the thought, he doesn't want her getting lost again if she's not paying attention, that's all.

She frowned inwardly, besides, someone this attractive never noticed girls like her. She was too plain for his level of hotness, with her too curvy body, her too curly copper hair, and zero coordination. Nope, he'd never notice her even on a good day.

"My name is Daniel, by the way," he introduced himself looking back at her.

"My name's Emmy," she replied automatically, "It's nice to meet you, Daniel."

"You can call me Danny," he smiled at her and her heart jumped, "Everyone does."

"Danny," she nodded in assent, "You can just call me Emmy."

He chuckled and nodded his head, "Emmy," he said and she loved the way her name sounded on his lips, "It's nice to meet you. What were you doing back here?"

"Oh," she shook her head, "A friend asked me to deliver a package for her because she had a date or something as stupid and couldn't do it."

"Well, that's really nice of you to do," Danny said and stopped outside a hall and peeked around the corner, "Okay, be really careful and make sure no one sees us."

Emmy nodded her head even though he couldn't see her and Danny dashed across the open hall, dragging her along. She almost tripped but kept her balance with the help of Danny. He stopped and peeked back. With a sigh he turned his blue-grey-silver eyes back to her, smiling broadly, "That was close," he whispered.

"What was it?" Emmy asked in a whisper going to lean past him.

He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back against the wall, pressed firmly to his chest where she inhaled deeply, both from being startled and how wonderfully he smelt, "It's the band's security," he whispered in her ear making goose-flesh raise on her neck from the heat of it, "They can't see you with me."

Yup, she was right, if they got caught, he would get fired because of her. She nodded her head, making her pony-tail dance around and tickle Danny's neck, "Look, I don't want to get you fired or anything," she said and pulled back from him, "I'll find my own way out and you can just pretend you never met me. I'll get 'escorted' out and your job will be safe."

"Fired?" Danny looked down at her with a look of amused confusion until a light dawned behind his eyes, like he had just realized something and he laughed, "Trust me, you won't get me fired. Let's just make sure you don't get kicked out."

He took her hand once again and started speed walking down the hall and Emmy struggled to keep up.

She slowly became aware of a roaring sound, "What is that?" she questioned Danny.

"It's the fans," he said almost affectionately, "The band just got done performing and all the fans around crowded around outside waiting to see them."

"Man," Emmy breathed, "Being famous has to get tiring for them."

Danny looked over her shoulder like she was crazy, "Why would you say that?" he asked and then jerked her into a door, closing it gently and darkness surrounded them.

For a moment, panic gripped her and she stopped breathing, what was he doing?

"Security is coming down the hall," he leaned in and whispered in her ear softly as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "Dont' move or they'll hear us in here. Why are you shaking?"

"It's really dark in here," she whispered back, unintentionally leaning into Danny's strong body, she could feel the heat coming off of him in waves and it soothed her.

"Well, they should pass by shortly," Danny assured her, "But while we wait, why dont' you explain what you meant."

"About the fame comment?" she questioned.

"Yeah," he answered softly, "Why do you think it would get tiring?"

"Well, think about it," she explained gently, "They are always moving, always on a schedule. They're followed by the press everywhere they go, so they have no privacy to speck of. They will constantly have to worry about girls only wanting them for their fame and money. I mean, how much freedom do they have, really?"

"What if they like the attention?" Danny countered.

"If they say that," Emmy said with a half-smile, she like the dark, it was making her brave, "Then they are lying to themselves."

They heard foot steps and voices approaching and Emmy held Danny tighter to her. Please, don't let them get caught, she begged the universe, just let them get out of this without anyone knowing about it.

"You can let go now," Danny whispered into the silence, "They're gone."

Emmy realized she was clutching Danny's torso and had her head buried in his neck, shaking badly, "Sorry," she apologized.

"I'm not," he said with his arms still around her shoulders, "You know, Emmy, I've never met a girl as honest and real as you, ya know."

"Really?" Emmy replied in real surprise.

"Yeah," Danny said, "Most chicks only come to me because of my looks or my position, so they'll say anything I want to hear to get what they want, but not you. I like that."

Emmy was thankful for the darkness as it hid the blush that bloomed across her face again, "Thanks, I think," she mumbled as she nervously bit at her lip.

"Okay," Danny said letting a breath out, "If I do something, do you promise not to hit me or get mad or anything?"

"It depends," she started and was silenced by when Danny's lips came down on hers, sending a shock wave of heat and electricity through her body. She was so shocked that she didn't respond for three seconds and then she melted against his rock hard chest, kissing him back as best she could.

Her head was spinning. This hot guy was kissing her! She wanted to squeal and jump for joy but she didn't want to break the kiss that summoned up a fire deep in her belly, making her hands come up of their own accord and wrap around Danny's neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. His hand ran down her back and gripped her hips hard, almost painfully, making her moan into his kiss. He reached a hand up and held her face, biting her bottom lip gently making her moan again and kiss back more passionately. She felt him tug at her pony-tail and then her abounding curls cascaded down her back and he ran fingers through them, grabbing a handful of her hair and pulling her too him, as if she could get any closer.

More foot steps sounded outside, with hurried voices following them, headed the same direction as before and Danny pulled back from his kiss and held her to him, as they waited for the steps to recede.

"It's safe now," Danny whispered but now it sounded different, husky, "We can go."

He sounded as if he didn't want to, like he was caught between options.

"We should," Emmy responded breathlessly, "Before we get caught and you get in trouble. This little pass thingy only gives me so much wiggle room."

Danny groaned, holding her tighter to him and she felt something hard press against her hip and she blushed, gasping lightly.

Danny chuckled lightly, "Sorry about that," he said, but he didn't really sound so sorry.

"It's okay," she said breathlessly, "But we should go."

Danny sighed and opened the door, blinding them for a moment, and ushered her out, "This way," he said and headed the way the guards had come from, "It's the quickest way out."

She went to answer when her phone went off, playing the intro to "Lion".

"Sorry!" she hissed pulling her phone out and answering it, "Not now, Mark!" she hissed in her phone, "Whatever it is I don't care right now. I'm busy and in deep shit. Call me later!"

She closed phone and put it to silent, "A friend," she said in answer to Danny's questioning look.

"You like Hollywood Undead?" he asked as he started them off again, taking a left.

"I love them," she answered simply, "I mean, I wish I could be a hardcore fan, ya know, go to their concerts and stuff, but I don't ever have the time or money, so I'm stuck just listening to the music Mark downloads on my phone."

"So you don't even know what they look like?" he asked like he didnt' believe her, "You listen to their music, you're a fan of them, and you don't know what the look like?"

"Not a clue," Emmy admitted, "I know, I don't seem like a good fan at all, do I? I should at least know that much, right? But nope! Hell! I don't really know any of their names, aside from the ones they say in the songs, like Charlie Scene, Da Kurlzz, and Funny Man. I just love their music. That's about all that matters to me."

Danny stopped and turned to her, giving her a look like he couldn't believe she were real, and leaned in to give her a hard, fast kiss, "I still can't believe it," he said when he pulled back and started them off again.

"Um, I'm confused," she confessed as she walked along with him.

"Let's just get you out of here first," Danny said as he took a right and she saw a door that said exit.

Emmy's stomach dropped, she didn't want to leave, not now.

"Here we are," Danny said hurriedly, "This will take you out into the parking lot, there will be security, but this thingy," he laughed as he used her word and flipped the pass that hung just below her breast, where his finger grazed the underside of them, causing her breath to hitch, "Will get you past them easily, just tell them you got turned around and they'll show you where to go with no fuss."

"Thank you, Danny," Emmy said softly looking down at the floor, holding her bag to her stomach, now becoming aware of herself, she felt like such an idiot!

"Emmy," Danny tilted her head up and she looked into his eyes, those eyes that refused to let go of her attention, "I meant what I said. Here," he took her phone and typed in it, "I'm taking a chance, but here."

He slipped her phone back into her pocket and then leaned in and kissed her hard one last time before running off and out of her site.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Believe**

Emmy got to her car with the help of the security. Danny had been right, she showed them her pass, told them what happened, and they helped her find her way.

She turned the key and started the car, "Pigskin" playing through her speakers, and she drove off, all the time thinking of Danny and that kiss, well, all the kissing. That had never happened to her before. She blushed again and groaned, she really needed to stop blushing.

A thought nagged at the back of her mind. What if he had just been played with her? She put her hand on her phone in her pants pocket. What if it was a fake number? She looked in the rear view mirror, taking in her reflection, why would he be interested in her, anyway? There was nothing special about her. Her copper curls were horrid and unruly, her skin wasn't the tan that everyone loved so much lately, it was a pale, freckles peppered over her delicate cheek bones and pretty much the entirety of her body, and her eyes were a dull, pale green that nothing ever seemed to match. She slumped back in her seat and refocused on the road.

"I guess I'll just have to text the number and see what happens," she said unsure as she nibbled on her lip.

Her phone rang, "Lion" playing through the tiny speaker. She turned down the radio and dug her phone out of her pocket, "Hello?" she answered.

"Oh, my God!" Mark yelled through the phone making Emmy pull it away from her ear, "Why haven't you answered me! I've been worried sick about you!"

"Can you chill, please?" Emmy sighed, "I got lost in the stadium and a stage hand helped me find my way out."

"Oh!" Mark breathed, "You said deep shit, so you can understand my concern."

"I swear," Emmy rolled her eyes, "You're worse than my mother. I was fine, we just couldn't get caught, the guy would have lost his job."

"Well, that was awful nice of him," Mark said suspiciously.

"Mark," Emmy said exasperated, "He was just doing his job."

"So tell me what happened," he demanded and she could just see him crossing his arms over his chest, "Every detail."

Emmy's heart jumped when she remember the passion in the closet and she felt the familiar pain in her cheeks as they darkened once more with blush, "Sure," she replied timidly, "When I get home."

Mark sighed over heavily, being dramatic as usual, "I suppose I can live with that," he sounded wounded.

"It's that or nothing," Emmy smiled in spite of herself, "Your pick."

"I can wait," he said a little more excitedly, "Waiting is good, it heightens the pleasure."

"Ugh!" Emmy groaned and hung up on Mark, he was always making sexual jokes. She didn't think she'd ever get used to them.

Her phone rang again, "Kill Everyone" blasting, demanding attention, she smiled a small smile, like Danny's eyes. It was a text, so she waited to answer it, hating to text and drive at the same time.

When she pulled into the drive way of her house, the sun was just beginning to set and she sat in her car, watching as the beautiful colors of orange, red, purple, pink, and yellow painted the sky. She loved watching the sun set.

Her phone went off again and she sighed. Mark was so impatient. After grabbing her messenger bag, she headed into their house and was bombarded with Mark and his energy.

"Okay," he said, "The wait was horrid! Tell me everything, now! I have to know!"

Emmy's eyes were huge and startled from his suddenness, "Can I please get settled first, at least?" she begged as she kicked her shoes off.

The television was blaring in the living room where he had left "The 13th Warrior" playing, "Come on!" he demanded as he took her shoulder bag from her and sat it on the dining room table to their right, "I had to wait forever!"

"You had to wait fifteen minutes!" Emmy exclaimed and took off her sweater, "Please, give me a minute!"

Mark huffed and crossed his arms, "Fine," he spun on his heels, "I'm going to finish my movie. Without you."

Emmy rolled her eyes but smiled, she loved Mark to death, but sometimes he was just a bit much.

She opened the messages on her phone and deleted Mark's insistence for her to get inside. But the other one...

Her heart contracted. It was from Danny.

*I hope u got out okay. Hope this is ur real #*

She smiled broadly. It was the message she got on her way home. That was fifteen minutes ago! Biting her lip she quickly replied.

*Made it out just fine. The plan worked, I got out with no problem. I hope this is your real # lol*

What if it wasn't?

Her finger hovered over the send button. Did she dare risk it? She pressed her lips into a hard lined grimace, closed her eyes, turned her head, and pressed send, quickly shoving it back into her pocket as a hard blush spread up her neck to cover her face.

"Please, let this not be a horrible joke," she pleaded with the fate, "Give me a break, just this one time."

"Who are you talking to?" Mark called from the living room.

"The universe, Mark," she called back with a laugh, "You wouldn't be interested."

Mark chuckled and went back to his movie, running his hands through his just cut short, blonde hair. She had to admit, he looked much older with shorter hair instead of the mop head look.

"When I change, I'll tell you what happened," she called over shoulder as she walked down the hall to her room.

"Not interested anymore," he lied.

"Yeah right," she muttered as she closed her door and stripped off her off white tank top and bra, slipping into a cozy cotton, black long-sleeved shirt. Next she emptied her pockets, laying her phone on her bed, then stepped out of her faded flared blue jeans and stepped into her Stewie sleep pants.

She grabbed her phone and walked into the living room, pulling her untamable curls back in a pony-tail.

"So, you're not interested anymore, huh?" she asked leaning against the back of the couch, tickling the sides of Mark's face with her hair, "Even if I told you I was pulled into a black as pitch closet by an extremely hot guy and then made out with him?"

Mark spun at warp speed to face Emmy with a look of stunned disbelief, "You didn't," he whispered.

"I didn't intend to!" she blushed and twirled a curl around her finger, "It just kinda happened."

Her phone buzz and she opened the text.

*Glad u got out. Security can b a bitch. This is Emmy, right?*

She giggled and hurriedly texted back, unknowingly nibbling her bottom lip again.

*I would imagine they would have to be. And yes, this is Emmy. This is Danny, right? The Danny who helped me escape from the trap my horrible sense of direction lured me into?*

"I'm waiting!" Mark shock her arm as she pressed send, "Stop texting! Tell me everything!"

Emmy rolled her eyes at him and hopped over the couch, sitting next to Mark, and told him everything.

"So," Mark looked at her uncertainly, "This Danny is texting you now?"

"Yes," Emmy unlocked her phone and showed him the name, "See, Danny. Why would I lie about that? That's more something you would do."

"I never lie!" Mark defended himself, "I just kinda stretch things."

"That's a lie, hun," Emmy laughed and ruffled his short hair, "You like the hair cut?"

"Don't change the subject!" Mark demanded pushing her hand away, "Some stranger hulled you into a closet, felt you up while kissing you, and you just act like it's no big deal?"

"I'm pretty sure that's what people call shock," she pointed out and reclined back against the arm of their tan couch.

"But that like, never happens to you!"

"Hence the shock, Mark."

He squinted his eyes at her, "You liked it didnt' you?"

She blushed and said nothing, choosing instead to look at the television.

"You little slut!" Mark laughed, "You loved it!"

She looked over at him half hurt, "That does not make me a slut!" Emmy countered with a pout, "And so what! Like you said, that never happens to me! Why can't I enjoy it when a hot guys kisses me," she brought her thumb nail to her mouth where she nibbled the edge, "Guys aren't exactly lining up to woo me, you know."

"Please!" Mark groaned, "I've told you over and over, Emmy, you are hot! You are drop dead sexy!"

"Oh, that explains the droves of men just lined up to have me!" she said sarcastically crossing her arms over her large breasts.

"Cause you're convinced you aren't attractive!" Mark repeated, "You cover up and hide like you're ashamed of all your curves."

"Curves aren't hot!" Emmy yelled at him, finally reaching her point of tolerance, "Curves are not attractive! Guys like girls with flat bellies and trim waists, fit legs and small arms. I have none of those things. Hell! I'm pale for Christ's sake! Not the tan that everyone is getting now."

Mark slapped his hands on his face and drug them down, letting out a long, loud sigh as he did, "You have a shapely body," Mark said pointing at her, having reached his limit as well, "You fill out your clothes. You look like you actually eat, instead of starve yourself, which let me tell you, it's not attractive. You can see those girls' bones, that is just nasty. You have something to hold on to and guys wouldn't be worried about breaking you if they fucked you."

Emmy pouted, hating this speech even more every time she heard it, "Shapley is just another word for fat," Emmy muttered, "Which I am. Moving on! This guy isn't even interested in me, he's just making sure I got out okay."

Her phone buzz again, as if trying to deny her statement.

*Yeah, tht's me! Haha. Glad it's not a fake #. Tht would b upsetting.*

She hurriedly replied with a small smile.

*Why would that be upsetting?*

"My point was just proven," Mark said plainly and played his movie, not wanting to argue with Emmy anymore.

Her phone went off again.

*I meant what I said b4. I like how ur honest and real. It's refreshing.*

She suppressed a giggle.

*I make a point to be honest. You don't gain anything from lying.*

She laid her head back against the arm of the couch, closing her eyes. When she did she saw his eyes, those amazing, attention grabbing eyes.

_Buzzzzzzzzz._

*I like that. Hey, do u wanna mayb meet up sometime?*

Her heart contracted and she involenteerly squeaked. Meet up? Was he for real?

"What?" Mark had paused the movie and looked over at her curious.

"He wants to meet up again," she barely managed to say.

"Yes!" Mark shouted, "Say yes!"

"But..." she bit her lip, "What if it's a prank? What if he stands me up?"

"Risk it!" Mark pushed, "Meet up with him! I'll even go with you!"

Her heart pounded.

*Sure. When and where?*

Her finger pressed send out of reflex and she didn't have time to ponder if she wanted to or not.

_Buzzzzzzz._

*I'm n town 4 the weekend. When is good 4 u?*

Her heart beat like a drum against her breast and her hands were shaking.

"Oh, give me that!" Mark jerked her phone out of her hand before she could react.

"Mark, no!" she squealed and ran after him as she sprinted, slipping and sliding from her socks, to his room where he slammed the door just as she got there and locked it, "Mark! Give me that phone now!"

"I'm helping you!" his muffled voice announced, "You need it and you know it!"

"I can handle this myself!" she pounded on the door, "Give it back or so help me!"

The phone slid out from under the door and she picked it up, going straight to her messages.

*I'm free Saturday 7*

She scrolled to Danny's reply.

*Meet the park?*

*I'd love that! See ya then*

Her heart was racing and her lungs burned for air. She sucked in a breath and her head got light. She couldn't believe it. She was going to see him again.

"A thank you is preferred," Mark called out to her.

"If it isn't some horrible prank or trick and it turns out good," Emmy said trying to be mad, "Then you get your thank you."

"Then I expect a thank you when you get back from the park!" Mark called from behind his closed-door.

Emmy rolled her eyes and smiled shyly when she felt her phone go off again. She walked back to the couch, dropping onto it as she opened the text.

*I'll b wearing a grey hoodie with the hood up n sunglasses*

*I'll keep that in mind. I'll wear a green sweater and have my bag*

*I'd b able to fin crowd w/o that.*

Her smile broadened.

*How is that?*

*Ur hair is pretty unique*

She blushed and subconsciously played with her hair.

*Thank you. But I hate my hair*

*U shouldn't*

She giggled and covered her mouth, texting back.

*I'll keep that in mind*

*Well it's late. Ttyl?*

Her heart tightened.

*Ok. Goodnight. Will definitely talk to you later*

*Goodnight, Emmy*

She held her phone to her chest and smiled ridiculously, nibbling the corner of her lip. She was so excited. And Saturday was tomorrow! She heart sped up. Oh, God. Tomorrow!

"Mark!" she yelled jumping over the couch, "Mark, get out here! I need help!"

Mark threw open his bedroom door, "What?" he demanded, "What's wrong?"

"I have no idea what to wear!" she panicked.

Mark let out a breath and face-palmed, "Really?" he said, "That's what all this freaking is about? What to wear?"

"Yes!" she whined looking down, her bangs covering her eyes, "I've never gone on a date before."

"Are you serious?" Mark questioned unbelieving.

"Yes," Emmy mumbled under her breath, self-consciously wrapping her arms around her too curvy waist and looked down at the floor.

"Ok," Mark sighed, "I'll pick something for you and see what you think."

"Ok," Emmy agreed looking uncertain, Mark had a flare for over-doing clothes, "But I have to wear a green sweater, that's what I told him I'd wear so he could find me."

"Ugh!" Mark groaned, "That ugly, old woman sweater?"

"It's not ugly!" Emmy defended her clothes, "And it's not an old woman sweater either," she picked her nails, "It's comfortable and I like it. Besides, it's supposed to be cold, so I want to be able to stay warm."

Mark looked at her with disapproval, "I'm buying you a different green sweater," he stated, "I'm not having you wear that," he waved to her room, "Thing to meet this super hot guy. If I'm helping you, we do this my way. Deal?"

Emmy looked to his out stretched hand with a raised eyebrow, "Deal," she said and shook his hand.

She already regretted it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Rain**

"I'm not sure about this," Emmy said as she looked at her reflection in the full length mirror on Mark's door, "It just seems...like a bit much."

Mark snorted a laugh, "You wouldn't know too much if it bit you on the ass, Emmy," he said and looked over her once more, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Okay," she rolled her eyes and looked sideways at him, "It's not enough."

He huffed and didn't respond to her, apparently he knew no matter what he said she would not be happy. He was probably right, she thought.

She looked up and down her reflection. Mark had insisted on her hair being down, pinning back a few strands from her temples to the back of her head, holding back her hair from her face with a lovely emerald-green rose clip. Her makeup was simple, thankfully. No base, her skin was good enough without it, but Mark had put eyeliner on her to highlight her "doe eyes" as he liked to call them, topping it off with a silver-green eyeshadow that made her eyes more vibrant and bright, instead of their usual dull, paleness, and to bring it all together, she wore a light pink lip gloss.

Her outfit was another thing altogether.

It was a simple almost sleeveless, white tee-shirt that clung to her every curve, a low, v-neck, button down, green sweater, dark blue denim skinny jeans, and black flats.

She bit her lip.

"This just isn't me, Mark," Emmy said pulling at the tightness of her sweater, "Not even a bit. Besides," she turned back to her reflection, running her hands down her sides, "Isn't it a bit dressy for today?"

"It's a date, Emmy," Mark retorted leaned against the off-white wall of his room, looking over her, "You're supposed to be dressy."

"But," she turned to look at him, her thumb nail between her lips, "He never said it was date. He just wanted to meet, that's it."

In truth, she hoped it was a date. She hoped with all her might it was a date, but he had never said it was and she didn't want to over think the situation, which, she thought, she usually did.

"It doesn't matter," Mark said standing straight, wiping an imaginary piece of lint off her shoulder, "Besides, you don't have to have a reason to get dressed up, which this is not by the way. This is simply dressing nicely with style."

"I swear," Emmy rolled her eyes, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were gay."

Mark barked a laugh, "Gay?" he shouted snorting a laugh, "Please, I could never be gay. I like pussy too much."

"And we have reach too much information!" Emmy threw her hands up and walked out of his room, "Way too much information!"

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

*Don't 4get. 7 the park.*

She smiled and her fingers zoomed across the keyboard.

*You're a hard one to forget, Danny. I'll be there.*

*It's happened to me b4. I'll see u there*

She pushed her phone back in her pocket with a smile. She didn't see how anyone could forget those eyes, or his smile, or his voice. He was just so handsome! There's no way someone could forget him!

She wrung her hands and looked at the clock. It would take her five minutes to walk to the park and she wanted to get there early, and it was just now six forty-five.

"Should I go ahead and head out?" she asked no one in particular, "Or is that too early?"

"Oh, God," Mark called out tiredly from his room, peeking his head out, "Just go! Or you'll be pacing the whole time you're waiting!"

She laughed, "You know me so well!" she called back to him as she grabbed her messenger bag and keys, "I'll see you later!"

"Bye!" he called before she shut the door.

Emmy turned and faced the street, putting her head phones in to listen to music on her phone. The first to play was "City" and she skipped it, not really in the mood for it and next played "Pigskin". She smiled shyly with a blush, she really liked this song. With it playing in her ears, Emmy began her long walk to the park to meet up with Danny.

By the time she got there, the sky had clouded up darkly and the wind had picked up, driving just about everyone out of the park. She picked a bench closest to the inner part of the park, sitting and listening as her music shuffled to "Levitate". She dug her phone out of her pocket and looked at it quizzically. It sure had played that band a lot, not that she minded, she loved Hollywood Undead, but it played it more than usual the last few days. She sat it down on her lap and, without realizing it, starting singing along. She checked the time.

6:56 P.M.

Eh, she thought, she had some time before she had to worry about him showing up. She bit her lip and looked around, making sure no one was out, before she let herself relax and move to the music.

"You know, I can take you straight to heaven if you let me!" she sang along closing her eyes, "You know, I, I can make your body levitate if you let me. You know that I, I can make you body levitate, le-levitate! I can make your body levitate, le-levitate! You know!"

She felt a tap on her shoulder and jumped with a small scream, her heart going to warp speed in less than a second as she spun around to see Danny at her side and she pulled her head phones out, "Levitate" still playing in the background.

"Dear God, Danny," Emmy put her hand to her chest, "You scared the shit out of me."

"Well," Danny shrugged as he took a seat beside her, his hands tucked in his pockets, "You just seemed really in the zone, I didn't wanna interrupt you."

Oh. Dear. GOD!

He had heard her singing! Shit!

She groaned and dropped her head in her hands, "I'm so sorry you had to hear that," she apologized not looking at him to hide that crimson blush spread over her face, "It's horrible."

"It was really good, actually," Danny said leaning back on the bench after he had looked around, "I really like the way you sound, you have a good voice."

Emmy snorted a laugh then threw her hands over her mouth. God! She snorted! Ugh! She just couldn't get a break!

She looked over at him mortified and was shocked to see him smiling broadly at her, "You have a cute laugh," he smiled and pushed her hand away from her face, "And cute blush too."

She laughed a nervous chuckle, so much for making a good impression. She had already ruined it by singing, and the damn snort didn't help. Not even her nice outfit would save her now.

"How was your day?" Danny asked trying to fill the silence.

"Oh," she finally said happy that he broke the ice and turned off her music, but suddenly she felt so self-conscious, pulling her bag over her stomach and sides, "Good, actually really good. How was yours?"

"Busy," he huffed a light laugh scratching his day old stubble, "unbelievably busy. It was like, as soon as it got time to come out here, everyone wanted us to do something. Meetings, conferences, the works. It was crazy. I barely was able to get out."

"Conferences?" Emmy questioned uncertainly.

"Oh," Danny rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find something to say, "For, uh, the concerts and stuff, ya know, um, that stuff. Where we'll be going, what times, that kinda stuff."

"Oh," Emmy said understandingly, "You travel with the band?"

Danny chuckled and looked at her through his sunglasses, "Yeah," he smiled coyly, "Yeah, I do."

"That must be pretty rough," Emmy looked down at her lap, picking at her finger nails, "Do you get to see your family at all."

"When we have breaks between tours," Danny said relaxing a bit now.

Emmy whistled and looked over at him, wishing Mark had let her keep her bangs down because now she couldn't secretly observe him through them, "They must miss you a lot with you being gone so much," Emmy continued nervously.

"I guess," Danny replied almost sadly, "It does make it hard, ya know, for relationships and everything. Things just get stretched too much and falls apart."

Now she looked over at him and saw a look of sadness on his face. What did he mean by relationships? Did he mean family wise, or . . . Emmy's heart sank, did he have a girlfriend back home, where ever he was from, or a wife?

"What do you mean?" she gently pressed for more information.

"You know," he rubbed the back of his neck, "People just fall away from each other when one of them is gone for too long at a time."

"Oh," she said and the silence stretched out between them.

"So," she offered, "What band do you travel with?"

Danny looked over at her like he was trying to decide if she were playing with him, "Just a band," he tried to brush it off.

"Come on," she smiled pushing his leg with hers, "What band?"

"Promise you won't flip, or anything?" Danny asked as he turned and faced her.

"Sure," she said blowing it off, seriously, how big of a band could he work for anyways?

"I travel with Hollywood Undead," he said plainly, like it was no big deal, like Hollywood Undead wasn't known around the world.

Emmy was stunned.

Hollywood Undead?

She counted to ten before she spoke, "The Hollywood Undead?" she asked calmly, surprising herself and apparently Danny too.

"Yes," Danny answered slowly.

Emmy took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I will not fan girl," she whispered to herself, "I will not fan girl. I will not fan girl."

She turned back to Danny who had a broad smile, "I'm used to fan girls," Danny said with a light laugh, "I deal with them, literally, on a daily basis."

"But I promised I wouldn't freak out," she barely managed to say around the ball excitement in her chest, "And fan-girling is freaking out, like big time freaking out."

"Okay," Danny laughed crossing his arms over his chest, "You can freak out a little."

Her heart jumped and her smile got wider, "Are you sure?" she inquired.

"Hell yeah," he laughed at her reaction, "Mostly I just want to see what you call fan-girling."

Emmy looked forward and her smile became uncontrollable, "Ohmygod!" she nearly screamed and turned to him, grabbing his hand, "You travel with Hollywood Undead! That's like, the coolest band ever to hang with! I can't believe you act like it's no big thing! It's a huge thing! I mean, you get to travel all over with them, be at their concerts! How is this not a big deal to you! This is amazing! You just became like a millions times cooler!

"I mean," she was up off the bench and practically jumping around, still holding Danny's hand, "You were a million times cool already, I mean, you're hot as hell and everything, but I mean, Hollywood Undead! That's huge! They are my favorite! Like, ever! Hell, I think their even my phones favorite! It's on shuffle and lately has played a shit ton of their songs! Ohmygod, Danny! This is so awesome! You are so lucky!"

Emmy's excitement had died down some after her outburst and she looked at Danny, realizing she had pretty well flipped her shit, and she blushed hard. But Danny was laughing, "Yeah," he laughed standing with her, "That is fan-girling. Not exactly what I have to deal with, though, which is nice, but it's still fan-girling."

"I'm sorry," she chuckled and tried to take her hand back from Danny to tuck an imaginary strand of hair back, but he held tight to her and she looked up at him, unknowingly biting the corner of her lip again.

"I kind of liked it," he said softly stepping closer to her, "It was really cute."

Emmy smiled shyly at Danny who now, at five feet seven inches, almost towered over her at five feet three inches, "Thanks," she barely whispered.

He was so close now, Emmy could feel the heat coming from his body and she shivered, more from nerves than cold.

"Are you alright?" Danny asked her leaning in, "You shivering, you must be cold, let's -"

They heard a car door slam, then another, followed by two others and voices calling to each other, "Someone said they saw him over here," one of the people said.

"Shit!" Danny hissed and looked over his shoulder up the hill a ways away from them, "We need to get out of here. Follow me?"

"Okay," Emmy numbly nodded a look of confusion dominating her features, not understanding what was going on.

"It's a news crew," he explained as he took her hand walked deeper into the park, where the trees were thick.

"Oh!" Emmy said finally understanding. The news crew would question him about the band, so they couldn't find him. That made sense, "This way," she offered and took the lead.

"Where are we going?" he asked uncertainly.

"A place they'd never think to look," she said smiling over her shoulder at him, "I promise, they won't find us here."

Danny took his sunglasses off as it got darker and Emmy was once again caught in the snare that was he's eyes, they were beautiful, "Thanks," he said smiling at her, "I appreciate the help."

Emmy giggled and slowed them down as they came up on rocks, "It's no problem," she said pulling him up with her, "I know what it's like to have the news crowd you and invade. Here," she said pointing to the rock formation in front of them, "There's a little dip in all those rocks, no one can see you, even from a helicopter, it's covered by trees. So they won't find us."

Danny followed her without protest up into the rocks and settled into the depression among the large boulders, "See," she smiled over at him slightly breathless from the climb and laid down, "No one will be able to find us. Not unless we wanted them to."

Danny sat down beside Emmy and looked around before looking back down at her, "Thanks for this," he said genuinely a soft smile forming on his lips.

"You're more than welcome," she smiled back at him then looked away, pretending to pick at something on the rock.

That look in his eyes got to her, like he could see right through her. Emmy bit her lip, what did he see, she wondered, when he looked at her. Her stomach turned, suddenly she didn't want to know what he thought.

"What did you mean earlier?" Danny broke her train of thought.

"Huh?" Emmy asked, not understanding what he meant.

"The comment about the news and everything," Danny explained as he laid on his stomach beside her.

"Oh," she said and turned away from those grey-green eyes of his, "I know how it feels to have people poking around your business and not having any respect of your privacy."

"What got the news interested in you?" Danny asked nudging her with his elbow, "You can tell me."

Emmy bit her lip, did she really want to open that Pandora's box? All that nonsense had ended years ago . . . .

"Emmy?" Danny said her name softly, almost lovingly.

No, she must have imagined his tone of voice. She looked over at him, putting a well-practiced fake smile up, "Oh," she waved it off, "It was just something that happened so long ago. It doesn't even really matter anymore."

Danny looked worriedly at her, the curiosity brewing in his eyes, but he let it go, "So," he asked expertly changing the subject, "What are we going to do for the rest of the day?"

"Well," Emmy said sitting to peek up over the rocks, "We can wait for the vultures to leave, and then leave ourselves, or we could stay up here all night."

Danny put his chin on his hand, "I'm stringing leaning to the staying the night up here," he laughed smiling down at Emmy, "But I have to be back to the hotel we're staying at by midnight at the latest."

Emmy frowned, "I understand," she said trying to smile, she had really been hoping he was for the latter instead of the former.

"But," Danny quickly added moving closer to Emmy, throwing his arm around her waist, "I think the vultures will be out late. Let's plan to stay till midnight, then we'll see what happens. How does that sound?"

Emmy's couldn't think as the blood rushed to her face and her ears buzzed. Danny was so close to her, it overwhelmed her, his smell, his heat, the feel of his muscles under his clothes, it was almost too much for Emmy's inexperencedness.

"I'd like that," she breathed looking up into those eyes that held her hostage, "I'd like that very much."

"And if we're going to be out here most of the night," Danny continued softly, "We'll have to stay extra close to keep warm. It's been getting colder at night, you know."

"Yeah," she managed to choke out as her voice seemed to flee from her.

Danny was closer now, so close she could feel his hot breath on her skin, feel the heat of his face against hers, "Wouldn't want either of us to get sick," his voice was husky now, "Now, would we?"

She shook her head, no longer able to speck, unknowingly caressing the tattoos on his forearm.

'God,' she thought desperately, 'Kiss me already!'

His lips brushed hers.

"It's Christmas in Hollywood, Santa's back up in the hood. So meet me under the misletoe, let's fuck!"

"Ugh!" Emmy growled and fished her phone out of her pocket, "I'm going to kill him for changing his ringtone. Can I not have a single moment of peace!" she demanded thoroughly frustrated.

"Sorry," Mark said on the other end, "Are you busy?"

"What do you think?" she questioned.

"Again, sorry," he repeated, "But you might want to head back. The news is calling for a big storm to head our way. I thought I would give you the heads up."

Emmy sighed, "Sorry, too," she said, "I shouldn't have snapped. Thanks for the warning. I might be late getting in though, so don't wait up."

"You went on a date with a very hot guy," Mark said, "That is something to wait up for. Oh! Speaking of hot! Take a picture of him! I wanna know what Mister Stud-muffin looks like."

Emmy couldn't' help but laugh, "Whatever," she told him, "I'll think about it. Goodbye."

"Please!" Mark begged and Emmy hung up on him.

"Who was that?" Danny asked very confused.

"My roommate," Emmy explained, "We've been friends since high school. He was passing on the news of bad weather."

"He?" Danny questioned.

"Yes," Emmy laughed patted Danny's arm, "Mark, the friend that called me the other day when you were helping me out of that tight spot."

"Oh," Danny said simply and dropped it.

"We should probably head out," Emmy said reluctantly as thunder sounded in the distance.

"Yeah," Danny agreed, "As much as I want to stay, it's best we get out of this shit before it hits."

Danny stood and offered his hand to Emmy which she took and he helped her to her feet. He helped her climb down the boulders and when she was firmly on the ground, he brought her close to him, "I had fun, Emmy," he said softly as his hand brushed her cheek and the blush that bloomed in response, "I had more fun today than I've had in a long time."

"Me too," was all Emmy could manage to say.

Danny grinned a boyish grin and leaned in, brushing his lips against her lips, his nose resting along side hers. Emmy closed her eyes and leaned in the rest of the way, kissing him softly.

Thunder crack above them and rain began to pour around them. Emmy squealed from the cold and laughed, Danny laughing alongside her, "Come on," Danny called over the rain, "I'll give you a ride home."

"Thanks," she laughed and they started jogging back to the parking lot.

Before the got completely out of the tree line, partly shielded from the rain now, they looked for the news crew and their van, neither of which were in sight, "I think the coast is clear," he grinned over his shoulder to Emmy, "Ready?"

"Hell yes!" she laughed and held tight to Danny's hand.

They jogged to a nondescript black car with tinted window and Danny had to fish his keys from his pockets to unlock it. When the door clicked they both jumped in and laughed, dripping wet from their stint in the rain.

"Well," Emmy laughed looking down at herself, "I'm glad my bag is waterproof."

"It is a good thing," Danny agreed and started the car, turning the heat on full blast when he noticed Emmy shaking.

"Thanks," she smiled over at him, "I don't know about you, but I could go for a hot shower now."

Danny laughed, "Yeah," he agreed and began to back out and drive off, "I think I could go for one, too."

Emmy smiled at him.

"So," Danny asked as he pulled up to the stop sign, "Where do you live?"

Emmy gave him her address and off they were.

When Danny pulled into Emmy's drive way, she didn't want to leave the car. She chewed her lip and hesitated to open the door, her hand pausing on the handle.

Danny reached over and grabbed her arm, "Wait," he said and she turned to him, letting go of the handle.

"Yes?" she asked nervously.

"I had a great time, Emmy," Danny said softly, putting off letting her leave, "I mean it, a great time."

"I did, too," Emmy told him in a small voice, leaning closer to him.

Without warning Danny leaned in a captured Emmy's mouth with his and kissed her hard, grabbing her chin and pulling her as close as he could get her. Emmy's hand came up and tangled in his hair, feeling the same desire to be with him as he felt for her, at least, that was what she hoped. His other hand gripped her arm as his tongue grazed her lips and she parted them, moaning at the taste of Danny, and almost lost it when he lightly bit her bottom lip, sucking on it as he did so.

Danny pulled away, "You should go," he said breathlessly as he kissed her cheeks, "You need to dry off so you don't get sick."

"Mhm," Emmy moaned and kissed his hand, "I know."

She kissed his thumb and, in a moment of sheer courage, lick the underside of it before taking it into her mouth and sucking.

Hearing Danny moan was almost her undoing, almost. Danny kissed down her jaw to her neck, his teeth scrapping her ear lobe.

"Ah," she cried out and clung to him, "Do that again."

He did and she nearly came out of her seat as a heat rushed through her body and settled in between her legs, she wanted so much more.

"Don't even try to take this weapon from me! I like you more and more the less that you breathe!"

Emmy groaned and pulled back, fishing her phone out of her bag.

"I come undone, I think I'll kill everyone. My, what have I done? Fuck it, let's kill everyone!"

"You better have a damn good reason for calling me," Emmy demanded.

"We need to talk," a familiar voice said over the line and her heart stopped, the blood draining from her face.

"Why are you calling me?" she demanded but her voice was weak, giving away the fear that gripped her throat, "How did you even get my number?"

"Please," he asked calmly, "Emmabeth, give me a chance. I can make it right, I promise."

"You shouldn't call me again," she said weakly, her voice coming out as a whisper as his voice conjured up memories of things better left in the darkness of the past and nightmares, "Loss my number."

She pressed 'End Call' before he could respond and sat numb in the heat of the car, all blood drained from her face.

"Emmy," Danny said gently, "Are you okay?"

She shook herself and pulled her fake smile up, "Of course," she lied and turned to him, her smile never reaching her eyes, "It was just some stupid kid doing a prank call."

She could see Danny knew it was a lie, but thankfully he didn't press further. He leaned over and gently kissed her and pulled away, running his thumb over her bottom lip, "Text me when you get out of the shower?" he asked as he leaned back in the driver seat.

Emmy's smile was real this time, he sounded so adorable when he said it like that, "Yes," she said with a small chuckle, "I'll text you as soon as I get out, but no texting and driving, k? It's dangerous even in the best conditions, but doubly so in rain."

"I promise I won't text and drive," Danny crossed his heart, "I'll catch you later, Emmy."

She opened her door and was blasted by the cold wind of the storm, "Bye, Danny," she said and stepped out of the car, closed the door and ran to her house, turning and waving when she got to the porch. She barely saw him wave back before he pulled out of the drive way and headed down the highway.

She stepped out of the hot shower and wrapped in a towel, drying herself off before she gathered her wet clothes and went to her bed room to put fresh clothes on. She slipped in her matching cotton grey panties and bra before putting on a pair of navy blue sweats and white tank top.

She walked to the kitchen first, wanting to make a hot cup of tea before she sat down and texted Danny back. As she waited while it brewed, she wondered where Mark was. He hadn't had work, at least not that she knew of. She turned and looked at the dry-erase board on the fridge.

"Got called into work. Be back by one. Be safe. - Mark"

Under the message, taped to the board was a condom.

"Mark!" she yelled and walked over, ripping the condom off the fridge door and shoving into a random kitchen drawer.

Her coffee pot beeped, she poured a cup of fresh tea, and went to sit in the living room, pulling out her phone to text Danny.

*Hey! Just got out of the shower and sitting with a warm cup of tea. So nice to be toasty.*

She hit send before she realize how stupid that sounded. She face-palmed, dropping her phone in her lap, "Ugh!" she groaned, "He's going to think I'm an idiot."

Her phone buzzed.

*Glad ur warm now. Was worried 4 a bit. I just got back 2 the hotel*

*Text when you're dried and dressed too. I'll talk to you later*

*Later*

She smiled, remembering the heat she felt build in her. It had been a long time since she had felt that kind of heat.

Her heart dropped when she remembered the call. Emmy almost dropped her glass as she shuddered. She shakily sat down her cup and hurriedly went around the house locking windows and the doors. Her heart was racing. He couldn't get in, not now.

She sat down and held her head between her legs, trying to remember to breathe evenly.

He didn't even know where she lived! She was being so silly! She texted Mark.

*Hurry home as soon as you can. You know who called me just a few seconds ago when Danny dropped me off. I'm by myself at the house. I've already locked the doors and windows.*

She sat her phone beside her and sank to the floor, pulling her legs up to her chest as best she could, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Somewhere, far away from here, I saw stars, stars that I could reach, yeah," she began singing. Singing was good, it eased her nerves, "It was a midnight, this side of twilight, you fell down below the ocean beach, yeah."

Even Blue October wasn't helping, she realized as tears pricked at her eyes. Nothing would ever make those horrible years go away. . . They would always be there to haunt her.

Her phone buzzed.

*Mark - I'm on my home now. Just hang in there. Should only be 20 minutes*

*Don't rush. The rain is bad. See you in a few*

*Mark - See you in a few*

She put her phone down and started to rock back and forth unknowingly, "I assembled all the sand that cover wedding beaches to build a castle so your mom would have a place to stay," she continued, "Behind the water slide and down the hill where heaven reaches, land and time is left to float away, yeah."

She heard the thunder crack and the wind howl outside and the sound soothed her. She got up and rushed to her room to get her blanket and curled on the couch with her phone. Quickly she texted Danny.

*I may fall asleep soon, so don't worry if I don't text you back. I will when I wake up*

She held her phone to her chest and closed her eyes, still humming "Sound of Pulling Heaven Down" by Blue October, but soon she was surrounded by the numbing darkness of sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Bottle and a Gun**

_Pain ripped through her back in time with the whip crack behind her. She bit the leather strap in her mouth to hold in her screams. Screaming only made it worse. Screaming made him angry. Tears burned her eyes almost as much as the sting of the leather bit at her bare back._

_"You will do as you are told!" he demanded as cracked the whip across her back a third time, the liquor in the bottle he held splashing across the floor, "You will be punished if you do not do as you are told."_

_Her nails dug into her palms as she held in her screams of agony._

_"You were a mistake," he growled as he pulled his arm back, dragging the whip across the concert floor and into the spilt alcohol, "I should have had your mother kill you when she got pregnant. You have been nothing but a disgrace to this family. You are not worth what a pig could spit."_

_The whip lashed her back again and she shut her eyes tight, closing her throat to the scream that clawed her vocal cords. The alcohol stung her open wounds and she could feel it, like hot nails being dug into her back._

_"I should get rid of you now," he said and dropped his whip, walking over to her, grabbing a hand full of her copper curls, "You filthy, stinking shit. I should just kill you now, no one would miss you."_

_She held her eyes closed tight, not wanting to see those dark eyes full of hate and evil, the black eyes that haunted her days and nights, never giving her peace._

_'Then do it,' she begged internally, 'Do it and free me of you.'_

_"But that would too easy," he spat at her the smell of the liquor invading her nostrils and he jerked her head back hard making her whimper, "Look at me!"_

_She forced her eyes open against her will and was inches away from the horror of her life, those black eyes that held nothing for her but hate and loathing._

_"You deserve everything you are getting," he hissed a whisper in her ear, his alcohol laced spit splattering her tear-stained face, "You deserve all of it. You brought it on yourself the day you came into this world. You are no better than your whore of a mother."_

_He dropped her head and walked away from her, picking up his whip once again, "Five more should do for today's punishment," he said too happily and her heart dropped at the sound of the leather coated with her blood dropped to the floor, "Remember, you scream and we have to start all over again."_

_She heard it scrap the floor as he drew back his arm, her heart and throat gripped with terror, her fists clenched, her nails digging crescent moon red lines into her palm, her naked chest pressed painfully against the wooden and splintered support beam of their basement, her bare knees scraped and bleeding from having to kneel on the cold, dirty concert floor, and she tried to prepare herself, tried to find that empty far away place, for the coming snap of agony that would tear her pale flesh and rip through her body._

She woke with a start, throwing her arms out to protect herself, screaming as she sat up, drenching in sweat.

"Emmy," Mark said gently from her feet, true pain covering his features, his sapphire blue eyes showing the deep love he felt for his friend, "You are okay. I just got home."

Emmy panted, her heart still racing, her whole body shaking, "Mark?" she rasped through a tight throat that ached, her eyes wide and full of terror.

Her bottom lip trembled and her vision swam as tears filled her eyes just before she broke into sobs, burying her face in her hands and pulling her knees to her chest, rocking subconsciously. She thought the nightmares were done. It had been almost ten years since that had ended, and the nightmares had stopped when she moved in with Mark three years ago. Why now?

She heard Mark quickly move to her side, wrapping her in his strong arms and pulling her into the floor with him, holding her to his chest, "It's okay, Emmy," he whispered running his hand over her hair, "It's over now. You don't have to be afraid. I'm here. You're safe."

She sobbed harder, gripping Mark's shirt as more tears flowed down her face as she felt the ghost of pain in the old scars that crisscrossed her lower back.

Mark rocked her and continued to say soothing things for over an hour before Emmy's sobs had ebbed and then stopped completely, though she still clung to him.

"I'm going to pick you up and put you on the couch," he told her gently, "I'm going to put my hand under your knees and around your shoulders to lift you."

She nodded weakly and hiccuped as he moved her from the floor to the couch.

"I'll get you a fresh cup of tea," Mark said gently holding her tear streaked face, leaning in to kiss her forehead.

Emmy stared unseeing at the wooden planked floor of their living room, picking at her finger nails. It was because he called her. She shuttered and pushed the thought away. She would call her phone company and have them put a block on that number so that he could never call again.

Mark was back by her side after a few moments, the smell of hot tea filling the room, "Here," he gently handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said softly tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Was it the nightmares again?" he asked slowly, knowing she didn't want to talk about it.

Emmy bit her lip and slowly nodded, "Yes," she said with a small sigh, "It was the nightmares."

"The same one?"

"No," she answered, her voice airy, "It was the one in the basement."

Mark sucked in a breath and put his hand on her knee, "Emmy," his voice full of pain, "I'm so sorry."

Emmy looked up at Mark sweetly, smiling a soft smile, and put her hand on his, "It's not your fault, Mark," she reassured him, "You couldn't have known."

Mark pressed his lips in a tight, thin, hard-line and gripped her hand, "I'm here for you, Emmy," he stated, "For real this time. None of that crap from all those years back is going to happen again. I'm on your side no matter what. K?"

Emmy eyes teared up and she was reminded again why she loved her best friend so much, "I know you are," she said lovingly, "You always have been."

"I'm glad your my friend, Emmy," Mark informed her, tugging at her hand.

She laughed lightly, "I am, too," she smiled and tugged on his hand, "To infinity."

Mark laughed at their joke from their high school years, "And beyond," he ended with a smile, "Now come here," he ordered tucking himself into the back of the couch, patting in front of him, "We are going to watch a movie and laugh at it."

Emmy genuinely laughed as she sat down her tea on the hand-me-down coffee table in front of the couch, and curled up in front of Mark, who turned on the television and scrolled through the channels till he found Tom and Jerry.

Half way through the fifth episode of an anime Mark had changed it to, Emmy grabbed her phone to check for messages. She had two, both from Danny, sent shortly after she must have fallen asleep.

*Just got out of the shower. Nice n hot.*

She smiled and moved to the next one, sent half an hour after the first.

*Guess ur asleep. Hope ths don't wake u. I wanna see u again. 2day wasn't long enough*

Emmy gasped and Mark leaned over her shoulder.

"Damn," Mark whistled, "What did you do?"

Emmy's face heated intensely, "Well, um," she stuttered, "We hung at the park, like we said we would, and talked for a bit before a news crew showed up looking for him."

"Why did they want him?" Mark pressed surprised.

"He is a stage hand for Hollywood Undead!" she squealed flipping over to face Mark, "Isn't that awesome!"

"No shit!" Mark exclaimed, "Do you think he could score us some tickets?"

"Mark!" Emmy playfully slapped his chest, "I'm not using Danny for that!"

"Sorry," Mark laughed rubbing his chest, "Geez, I was just curious."

"Anyways!" Emmy rolled her eyes and continued, "Well, I helped him escape, ya know, like he helped me, and we hit out at my spot."

"Whoa!" Mark's eyes went huge in shock, "You won't even take me up there! You have officially hurt my feelings!"

Emmy sputtered a laugh, "What feelings?" she playfully poked his chest.

Mark opened his mouth as if to reply, shut it, then shrugged, "You have a point," he admitted.

Emmy laughed, "Well," Emmy's face flamed with color, "We were up there for a bit and almost kissed again but then you called about the weather," she pinched his arm, "So, we hopped down and headed back for the car when it started to rain on us," she glided over the kiss at the base of the boulders, "And he brought me home."

Mark looked at her and smiled, "You made out with him in the car didn't' you!"

Emmy's face grew hotter and she looked away him.

"Oh, my God!" Mark shouted, "You did! Damn! You sexy little minx!"

"Shut up, Mark!" she huffed getting up from the couch and walking to the kitchen, "It's not that big of a deal! I know for a fact you make out with almost every girl you bring home in the car for at the very least ten minutes! And that, my friend, is just the tip of the very noisy iceberg in regards to your sex life."

"See," Mark said as he sat up and turned to face Emmy as she fussed around the kitchen, "That's the difference between you and me. That's my usual deal. I mean, you even talking about a guy who isn't some fictional character or movie star is rare, meaning it never happens."

"People can change," she squeaked turning her back to him, taking a thick strand of her hair and began to braid it.

"Oh no," Mark jumped over the top of the couch, "No you don't, we are not changing the subject. You like him dont' you?"

"Like him? Pfft!" Emmy blew Mark off, flipping her strand back half braided, "I don't know him well enough to like him."

"But you're attracted to him," Mark pointed his chicken strip he had pulled out of the fridge at her.

"Uh, duh!" Emmy exclaimed, "He's fucking hot as Hell for Christ's sake! Who wouldn't be attracted to him!"

Mark raised an eyebrow and his hand, "Me," he countered.

"You dont' count!" Emmy said throwing her arms in the air exasperated, "You are straight!"

"Look," Mark gave in and hopped onto the counter top, "Just admit that you like him. I'll drop the whole subject."

"Fine," Emmy surrendered, "Yes, I like him, like, a lot."

She brought her thumb nail to her mouth again, gnawing on the edge of it.

"What do you like about him?" Mark pressed as he took a bit of his chicken strip, "Damn, these are good! You want a bite?"

Emmy stalked over to him and stole his chicken, taking a huge bite out of it, "What happened to dropping the whole subject?" Emmy demanded through chewing.

Mark looked at his empty hand to the chicken strip in hers, then back again, "That was my biggest one," he said sadly looking to the chicken strip in her grasp.

"Drop the subject," she pointed at him with the fried meat, "And you can have your stupid chicken back."

Mark's bottom lips quivered, caught between his need for information and his love of food, "Fine," he sighed dropping his hand, "I'll drop the subject of how badly you want to bang Danny."

Emmy smiled triumphantly and skipped over to Mark, gently placing the breaded delight in his twitching finger, "Thank you," she laughed and kissed his cheek before going back to the living room and Hellsing, one of her favoirte animes.

"You must be from the dark side," Mark called to her from the kitchen, "Using food as leverage is down right dirty."

"Like you don't do anything dirty," Emmy retorted with a laugh.

"Well," Mark started.

"No!" Emmy put her hands in the air, "No! Don't go there! It's bad enough I have here it."

Mark laughed loudly in the kitchen and continued to eat seated on the counter top.

Emmy picked up her phone and replied to Danny.

*Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I know it's late. I just got up.*

His reply was almost instantaneous.

*It's all good. I've been busy anyway. Just got a few spare minutes.*

She smiled.

*Well, I don't' want to distract you from work.*

*U would only b a distraction if u were here*

Emmy laughed out loud and replied.

*I would be on my best behavior, promise*

*Just seeing u would distract me. Specially after 2day*

Emmy blushed.

*Which part?*

*All of it, but specially with the tongue thing u did*

Emmy giggled ridiculously, holding the phone to her chest, kicking her feet happily before she replied.

*I did that purely on whim.*

*Well, tell ur whim to do that more often*

Emmy's eyes went huge and the blush covered all over chest and ears as well.

*I'll try to remind it of that from now on*

*Well, back 2 work. Later Emmy*

*Bye, Danny.*

Emmy held the phone to her chest and sighed happily, a girlish giggle rising in her throat.

"I think we should take you to a doctor or something," Mark said leaning over the back of the couch.

Emmy squeaked with a start and looked up at him, "What do you mean?"

"You are acting so weird," he laughed and ruffled her hair before heading to his room, "I'm going to bed! Night!"

"Night!" she called back to him and laid back on the couch.

She couldn't wait to see Danny again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 - No. 5**

Emmy put in her headphones and pressed play on her Hollywood Undead playlist, she was in the mood for a little up beat music, as she moved around the kitchen getting dinner ready.

"Girl, your boobies look real nice to me tonight. Let's have a pillow fight, I know you're tight. That's when we turn out the lights. Girl, if you're from Orange County I'll fuck you right," she sang along with her phone, "And I think J-Dog might, if I'm nice. That's when we turn off the lights."

She pulled her long hair back into a pony-tail and placed a pot in the sink to fill with hot water. She felt it was a mac and cheese kinda night.

"That's when we turn off the lights," she closed her eyes and swayed to the music as the pot filled, "Undead. That's when we turn off the lights."

She took the hot water to the stove and turned it on, searching through cabinets for the boxes of mac and cheese she knew they had. She grinned, finding the last two boxes of very dusty mac and cheese.

She pulled the strap of her pink tank top back up as she swayed her hips, her knee-high plaid purple skirt dancing around her legs, "Come on girl, let me touch that body, you know I like it when you drop it low!" she sang as she looked around, making sure no one was home yet before she continued, "Hike up that skirt get naughty. Hut one, hut two, hut three, go!"

She pulled at the edge of her skirt, dipped down, and slowly came back up, "Come on girl, let me touch that body, you know I like it when you lose control. Hike up that skirt, get naughty. Hut one, hut two, hut three, go!"

Her hands ran up her hips and up over her head where she linked her fingers, swinging her hips back and forth to the beat of "Pigskin".

The water started to boil and she opened the boxes in front of her, dumping the noodles into the water, throwing in a dash of salt for taste, nodding her head to the music. She smiled and skipped over the fridge, grabbing milk and butter, then slid back over to the bowl she had laid out next to the stove. She dug through the drawer to her left for measuring cups which she used to carefully measure out the right amount of both the ingredients into the bowl she selected.

She nibbled her lip as she thought about Danny, his grey-green eyes so attention grabbing, and a blush erupted over her cheeks at the memory of his kiss, his hands on her, making the fire that burned inside her roar to life. She wished he were here now. She looked down at her clothes, on second thought, maybe not so much. She felt the familiar brush of her shirt and touched her lower back. She definitely wanted to change before he ever saw her like this. She shuttered at the thought of him seeing the marks of her past. What would he think, she wondered as she strained the pot of noodles and hot water.

She mentally pushed those thoughts away. She hoped he never had to see them.

She dumped the steaming noodles into the bowl with milk, butter, and cheese sauce, mixing it in thoroughly with a thick wooden spoon, licking off the extra cheese and noodles left on the spoon as she took the bowl to the table where she laid out two more bowls and two forks. She hurried back to the kitchen, checking the clock as she pulled two glasses out of the cabinet above the sink, went to the freezer, dropped ice into both of them, then dug the jug of tea out of the fridge to fill them.

Just as she sat the cups down, arms wound around her waist and she screamed, jumping and hitting at whoever grabbed her, her headphones jerking out of her ears midway through "Undead".

" - me!" she heard Mark's slightly laughing voice, "Calm down! Geez."

"Mark!" she glared up at him and slapped his chest hard for good measure, "You scared the shit out of me! You know better than to do that to me!"

Mark's laughing dyed down slightly and he kissed Emmy's forehead, "I know," he smiled charmingly down at Emmy,"I'm sorry."

She scowled at him, "Don't even think about using that on me," she warned poking his curled up lips, "You're lucky I'm in a good mood, Mark. I could be really pissed at you right now."

Mark's eyebrow went up mischievously, "Did you masturbate?" he questioned with a sexy grin.

"Ohmygod, Mark!" Emmy squealed covering her face, "Ew! No!"

"Aw," he fake frowned sticking his bottom lip out, "Not even little, not even thinking about Danny?"

"MARKUS CHRISTOPHER!" Emmy shrieked slapping his chest, "What is wrong with you! No! Ugh!"

He let Emmy go, and laughed, "Oh, honey," he winked at her, "There are lots of things wrong with me. Anyway, cool your jets," he pulled out the chair next to them, "I was just giving you a hard time. I don't know why you deny that masturbate, I can hear you."

Emmy's cheeks exploded with color as she turned away from Mark, covering her face, "Shutup!" she shirked, "Just shut it!"

Mark laughed harder, bending over his knees, "Wow," he said, "You make it so easy to screw with you! I just can't help it!"

Emmy turned a glare on him, not exactly angry, and grabbed the bowl from the table, "For that," she stated, "You don't get any of my mac and cheese for dinner. You can find your own food for the night."

Mark's laughter stopped instantly and his eyes grew huge, "No dinner?" his voice sounded small, "But . . .you know I can't cook. Why are you taking away my food?"

"Cause you are being mean to me," Emmy stuck her tongue out at him a hand on her hip.

Mark's sapphire eyes went dark and a slow grin shaped his lips, "Mean?" Mark questioned, his tone changing completely, going deep and soft, airy almost, "Then how about I be nice to you? Would that win me my dinner back?"

Emmy took a hesitant step backwards, "Um, I guess so," she answered unsure, she had never seen Mark like this before.

Mark smirked at her and stood, walking to her with a confident stride, like a predator going toward prey, and he reached up, gently stroking Emmy's cheek. Emmy froze, looking at Mark's chest, terrified to look at his face, this was so out of character for Mark. His finger tips trailed across her jaw and down her neck where he slowly slid off her strap. He leaned in close, so close Emmy could feel the heat coming from his body, and whispered huskily in her ear, "I'm sorry I was so mean," he said sweetly as his other hand glided across her shoulder and down her arm, "You know I can get sometimes, I just can't help myself with you. You just make it so easy, and sometimes I just forget how innocent you are. Am I forgiven?"

Emmy slowly looked up at Mark, no believing what was happening. This was how he got girls all the time, this was his ploy, that innocent, but confident-dirty act. He was good. Emmy's knees shock, "Y-yes," she stuttered in a weak, breathless voice.

As if switch had been flipped in his personality, Mark's features lost its seductive look and stance and he was back to his regular bubbly, normal self. The transition made Emmy's head spin and she sat the bowl down on the table, easing herself down into the chair behind her.

Mark dished out the food onto his plate and looked at Emmy with a raise eyebrow, "You okay?" he asked.

Emmy chuckled nervously and shock her head, "I'm fine," she said, "Just saw a part of you I never knew I would see."

"Yup," he smirked at her evilly, "You have just witnessed my Sex Transition."

Emmy nodded taking a shaky drink of her sweet tea, "I know see how you get laid as much as you do," she stated dishing herself up food.

Mark laughed and ate, dropping the subject.

Emmy laid back in the tub with a moan of relief, the almost too hot water stinging wonderfully. She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning her head back.

She heard the door open and parted her eyes to see Mark poking his head in, "Damn," he said, "I was hoping you would be going out with Danny tonight."

Emmy raised an eyebrow, "Got a date tonight?" she questioned pulling more suds over her naked body.

Mark wiggled his eyebrows, "You could say that," he smirked and stepped in, leaning in the door way, "I have plans to defile my bed once more and with what this one is into, I wouldn't suggest you being here."

Emmy shuttered, "The last time you brought one of those home," she pointed a soap finger at him, "I woke up to a woman in my kitchen cooking in almost nothing."

Mark laughed, "Ah," he sighed, "Good times, good times. No, this one is a little more out there."

"How out there are we talking?" Emmy sighed, already making plans to be out of the house for the night.

"Ever heard of bondage?" he questioned with a coy smile.

Emmy blushed hard and looked at the tile beside Mark's head, "I've heard of it," she said her voice cracking part way through her sentence.

Mark's brow went up dramatically, "I want to know," he said pointing at her, "But, at the same time, I don't want to know. Anyways, this one gets kinda loud, if you know what I mean, and she likes an audience, so I would suggest you head out. I wish to shield your innocence as long as possible from my immoral ways."

Emmy snorted a laugh, "Yeah, okay," she sighed, "Whatever. I'll head to the coffee place I go to sometimes. They're open all night and I'll just go and read. Text me when your done immobilize your bedroom."

Mark slide in on his sock feet, "I knew you would understand," he smiled and kissed her head, "You are such a cool room-mate. I'll text you in about eight hours or so."

Mark almost skipped out if the bathroom, closing the door behind him. She sighed, "I am much too nice to him," she mumbled as she sank to her nose in the water.

An hour later Mark pounded on the bathroom door, "Coming in," he announced before throwing the door open and Emmy squeaked, throwing her arms over her chest and pulling her knees up, "You need to hurry, my lovely flower."

"You could have told me that through the door!" she squealed, "I'm naked! Get out!"

"I've seen you naked before," Mark said simply with a wave of his hand, "Besides, you seen one, you seen 'em all. Hurry and get your lovely ass out here. She could get here any minute! I don't want her to know you're here. She might ask you to join."

Emmy glared at him as he just stood in the doorway.

"Oh!" Mark exclaimed jumping slightly, "Of course, I'll get out."

"Thank you," she sighed and sat up.

Mark peaked in slightly, "Can I not have just a tiny peek?" he questioned innocently, "I've never seen a red-head before."

"Get out!" she yelled and threw a wash rag at his face, catching him in the mouth.

"Yummy!" Mark smiled wide, licking the water off his face, "Taste 'o Emmy."

"Mark!" she screamed glaring at him.

"Alright!" he huffed, "Alright! I'm going!"

He closed the door and Emmy waited a few minutes before she leaned over, pulled the plug, and then stepped out, avoiding the full mirror Mark had insisted go in the bathroom as she wrapped a towel around her body. She didn't need to be reminded of all the abuse she went through as a teen and she defiantly didn't need to be reminded of how bad she looked naked.

She dried herself quickly and dressed, putting on sleep pants and baggy tee-shirt before she left to change in her room, "What time is she coming over?" Emmy called down the hall.

"Anytime now!" Mark called back and poked his head out of the kitchen, "Damn, I was hoping you were still in a towel."

Emmy stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, I'd just love to know what that feels like on me," he winked at her before ducking back to avoid the flying magazine that Emmy hurled at his face.

"You're lucky I love you, Mark!" Emmy yelled at him as she closed her door, "Else, your food might be poisoned sometime."

"Oh," Mark hissed, "I love it when you fight dirty."

Emmy laughed, she could never stay mad at Mark, not really, he was too sweet and cute.

She stripped her clothes and put on a plan, matching set of blue bra and underwear, before slipping her black Breaking Benjamin tee-shirt on, sliding into a pair of faded, flare blue jeans, pulling over her rust brown hoodie, putting on her black converse, and lastly, pulling her untamable curls back into a messy bun.

She grabbed "Goddess of Light" by P. C. Cast out of her bookshelf before leaving her room and headed to the kitchen to tell Mark goodbye.

"I'm heading out," she called as she came down the hall and walked in on Mark looking excitedly at his phone.

"What?" she questioned.

He opened his mouth to answer when a knock sounded at the door.

Emmy knitted her brows and walked to the door, opening it to see a nicely dressed man holding a small, plan black box, "Miss Emmy?" he questioned.

"That's me," she answered uncertainly, "How can I help you?"

"This is for you, ma'am," he said and held out the box to her.

She hesitantly took it from him, "Do I need to sign anything?" she questioned.

"No, thank you," the man tipped his bald head to her, "Good night."

"Goodnight?" she replied questioningly as the man turned and walked away.

"That was weird," she mumbled and walked over to the dinning room table where she sat the box down.

"What's in it?" Mark asked from the kitchen doorway.

Emmy shrugged, "Can you bring me a knife?" she asked looking over her shoulder to him, "It has tape I have to cut."

"Sure," he walked in and back out of the kitchen, carefully handing Emmy the knife.

She carefully slid the sharpened blade across the tape and gently popped the small package open. Emmy sat the knife down and gasped at what was inside.

It was the most beautiful necklace Emmy had ever seen in her life. On a semi-thick, but delicate silver chain, hung an artful, magnificent, black Celtic cross with the most realistic, rose Emmy had ever seen. So realistic, in fact, it almost appeared to be alive if it weren't for the feel of cold metal under her finger tips.

Her delicate fingers came to her lips as her eyes went wide. It was the most wonderful thing she'd ever seen.

"Who is it from?" Mark questioned as Emmy stared dumbfounded at the gift she'd been given and reached in to take out the slip of folded paper.

"'Emmy, I hope you like the gift. I made it thinking of you and I hope that you will keep it. Meet me again? Some place you would like.'," Mark read and looked at Emmy, "It's signed Danny. Whoa. That's deep. He made it for you."

Emmy smiled down at the object in her hand and gently caressed it with her thumb, "It's very thoughtful," she said softly. It was the most thoughtful, amazing gift she had ever gotten in all her life. She undid the clasp holding the chain together and reclapsed it around her neck, loving the feeling of the cool metal just above the swell of her breast.

"You are going to text him right now and tell him you want to meet," Mark demanded setting the letter back in the box, "And you're going to tell him you want to have sex with this instant."

Her face fell into disapproval and she turned her cold green eyes on Mark, "You really know how to ruin a moment," she said in a calm, cool voice.

Mark was unphased by her slight anger and shrugged, "It's a gift," he retorted and walked back to then kitchen, "But you need to text him anyway. Maybe you should him have meet you at that little coffee shop you were going to."

Emmy rolled her eyes at his suggestive eyebrow wiggle, "I'm leaving now, Markus," she announced as she walked to the door, her hand unconsciously caressing the cross around her neck.

She left without hearing his reply, closing the door tightly behind her, effectively cutting off his words. She looked up at the sky, it was just reaching twilight and Emmy gnawed her lip in thought. Did she want to walk or drive? Walking would a lot her the time to think that she wanted, but driving would save her time on the way home. She looked unsure to her car and sighed, taking out her eyes, her laziness winning out. She would be much too tired later to walk home.

She sat reading her book, constantly pushing up her rimless glasses as they slipped down her nose, taking in line by line of the story she read, sipping the caramel mocha she had ordered, completely oblvious to the world around her, just the way she like it.

She was in her usual spot, the corner both of the eclectic coffee shop she had found a few months after moving in with Mark. The seat she was in was dark brown leather and the table an abstract swirling design that had been lacquered to protect it. Above that hung a stain glass covered light that shown purple, yellow, blue, red, and orange.

Her phone buzzed.

She jumped and pulled it out of her lap.

*I hope u liked the necklace*

Emmy smiled gently down at her phone.

*I loved it very much, I'm wearing it now actually. It is very beautiful. Thank you.*

*I'm glad. I put a lot of thought n2 it*

*Which makes it that much more wonderful to me*

She closed her book and sat it on her bag next to her.

*I want 2 see u tonight. I leave tomorrow*

Emmy's heart sank, she forgot he moved around with the band.

*I would love that. I'm at an out of the way coffee joint on Madison Avenue*

She bit her lip and waited for his reply, would he be able to spend the whole night with her. She didn't want him to leave so soon, she was just beginning to -

*I'll see u in a few*

Her heart leaped in her chest. He was coming to see her. She looked down at herself and groaned, putting her face in her hands. She looked more awful than usual. She sighed and slipped her book into her bag and nervously mixed her drink around as she waited for Danny.

After about fifteen minutes, Emmy saw Danny walk in the front door and waved to him, and her heart soared when she saw the smile appear on his face at seeing her, and he walked over to her, sitting in the bench across from her.

"I had to see you one last time," Danny said softly with a gentle smile, "I won't be back this way for a while."

Emmy tried to keep her smile in place even as her heart seemed to sink, "I understand," she replied putting her hand on his, "It's part of your job."

Danny looked down at her hand on his and turned his so that hers lay in his palm where he softly curled his fingers around her delicate, small hands, "I wish I didn't have to," he confessed still looking at their hands, "I wish I could stay and spend more time with you. It's nice to have a little normality in my life."

Emmy's answering smile wasn't forced at all, "I know how you feel," she whispered, "Spending time with you is refreshing."

She opened her mouth to say more, to say that being around him was like standing in sun light, he banished all the darkness from her mind and made her feel like she was the most normal girl in the world, but she stopped herself. She didn't want him to ask what she meant by darkness. She looked to his handsome face, his deep, caring eyes, someone like him had no place in the dark corners of her past. When he met her appraising gaze, Emmy's whole body relaxed.

"You look different with glasses on," he motioned to her face, "I didn't know you had them."

Emmy blushed, slowly slipping the glasses off, "I only need them when I read," she replied, tucking her glasses into her bag, "I hate them."

"I think you look amazing," Danny said softly with a smile, "With, or without, the glasses."

Emmy blushed darker, "Thank you," she whispered.

"I'll be sending you something when we've settled in the next city," Danny told her, "You can bring your friend Mark along too, I'd like to meet him."

Emmy involuntarily snorted a laugh, "No," she chuckled, "You wouldn't. He might be a bit much for you to handle."

Danny laughed in return, and Emmy loved the look of pure joy in his eyes, "Oh, trust me," he assured her with squeeze to her hand, "I can handle him, especially with who I put up with on a daily basis."

Emmy grinned widely, "Challenge accepted," she stated, "I'll come to whatever you want me to and you get to face my room mate and best friend. We'll see how long you last."

"I can handle him," Danny grinned accepting the challenge, "If I win, meaning I can put up with him with out losing it, you come with me."

Her heart stopped. Come with him? Tour with the him and the band? Was he for real?

"And if I win," Emmy said not letting her nervous show, "You stay with me, here in this town, for two months. Deal?"

Danny's smirk was self-satisfied, like he knew he wouldn't loss, "Deal," he said proudly.

Emmy laughed and checked the time with a hiss, "Come on," she ordered him as she stood, throwing her bag over her shoulder, "They're about to close. How about a walk?"

Danny stood with her and once again she was overwhelmed by him, "I'd love that," he held his hand out to her and she reached and took it, without hesitating, which startled her. On the best of days, she was extremely iffy on physical contact aside from Mark, but they had been friends all their life.

She pushed that thought away, she would let her past interfere with her present. She led Danny out of the shop and to her car, "Let me drop this off first," she informed him as she opened her car door and threw her bag in the passenger seat, "Now, we can go."

She closed the door and turned to him, only to be wrapped in his arms and felt his lips press to hers. She relaxed against his chest, melding herself to him as she moved her lips with his.

Emmy felt the now familiar burn inside of her chest, the ache that was beautiful and painful all at once.

She involuntarily moaned into Danny's kiss, snaking her arms around his neck and into his hair. Danny's hands tightened around her waist and he pulled her hard against him as he moved his lips against Emmy's, playfully nipping at bottom lip and smiling when she moaned and bit his in return. She couldn't get enough of him, his taste, his smell, the touch of his hot hand brushing the skin of her hips, running up her back.

Emmy gasped and pulled away, jerking his hands away from her back. She pulled her shirt and hoodie back down around her hips. She looked away from his worried and curious gaze as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ears.

"Sorry," Danny said holding his hands up, "I didn't mean to . . . I kinda just got carried away."

"No," Emmy chuckled nervously, "It wasn't that. That was fine," she blushed darkly, "That was more than fine, I promise. We just can't do that here, is all. I didn't want either of us to get in trouble or anything."

Danny's shoulders relaxed and his sigh with a chuckle, looking down at the ground as he ran his hand through his hair, he other on his hip, "Ok," he looked back up at her, believing her lie, "I'm glad I wasn't pushing you or anything, that's the last thing I want. It's just hard to stop myself sometimes, especially around you."

Emmy wrapped her arms nervously around her waist and thanked God he believed her. She smiled at him, "You could never make me do anything I didn't want, Danny," she assured him and stood straight, "How about we go over to my place. You can meet Mark and we'll see who wins. Sound good?"

Danny nodded with a smile, "Sounds great," he said.

Emmy motioned to her car, "Hop in," she ordered as she claimed in herself.

Danny jogged to the other side of her car and claimed in, "Lead the way," he laughed taking Emmy's hand once she had started the car.

"As you wish," she smiled over at him and took off back her home.

"So," Danny questioned when they got there, closing his door, "Is Mark a big Hollywood Undead fan, too?"

"I guess so," Emmy shrugged, "I mean, he does keep me pretty well updated with their music and all. And for a project one time he made a replica of one of the band members masks. I can't remember who it was, I really didn't pay that much attention to it at the time. It was gold though, I remember that much, I had to wash so many gold-paint stains things after that. Hell, I'm pretty sure there's still some paint left in the drain from it, and that was like a year and a half ago."

Emmy laughed as she remembered how proud Mark had been about the whole thing, parading around in the thing at all hours, "He even greeted one of his girlfriends at the door with it on," she linked her arm through his as she laughed, "Where it and a pair of boxers. It was amazing! She flipped her shit so bad! I laughed about it for a good solid hour, I think."

Danny laughed too, but Emmy thought he sounded off, like he was worried. Was he jealous of Mark? She looked at Danny, really looked and couldn't think of a single reason why he would be jealous, Danny was amazing, and Mark was just a friend, an odd friend who really pushed his luck at times, but still. He was the best friend she had ever had, well, she admitted to herself, really he was her only friend.

Emmy patted Danny's arm, "Don't worry," she assured him with a wide smile, "You and Mark will get along fine. He's very much a people person. I'm sure he'll like you just fine."

Danny smirked and mumbled something under his breath and Emmy just smiled shaking her head.

Boys, she thought and unlocked their door, walking in with Danny at her heels, "Mark!" she called as she shut and relocked the door, "I'm home. I brought someone with me you've been waiting to meet," she walked down the hall and knocked on his door, "Come visit while I put my stuff away."

"Sure," Mark called and opened his door, his hair in disarray and wide grin on his face, "No problem."

"I take you newest conquest has come and gone?" Emmy inquired seeing Mark's room in all sorts of disorder.

Mark smiled broadly, "Oh," he said proudly, "Many times over, yes."

"Mark," Emmy pinched the bridge of her nose, "Just go say hi to Danny while I put my stuff away and change my shirt, I split caramel mocha on this one and it needs to soak."

Mark brought his hand up in a salute, "Yes, ma'am," he answered and laughed as she walked away and shut her door.

She laughed as she slipped out of her hoodie and tee-shirt, going to her closet to find another. She selected her long-sleeved, turquoise turtle neck and slipped it over her head with a smile, turquoise looked good with her pale skin, it was one of the few things she liked. She readjusted her hair and put her hands on her waist, she was done.

"Oh," she exclaimed quietly, "I almost forgot."

She reached in and gently pulled her neck lace out, draping it over the outside of her shirt. She caressed it almost lovingly with a smile, it truly was beautiful.

The change had taken a little over five minutes and she opened her door, walking out into silence.

She leaned out as she walked around and into the living room, almost stunned at the site of Mark sitting almost ram-rod straight across the room from where Danny leaned against the wall by the door. He almost appeared relaxed, but Emmy could tell something was wrong.

"Mark," she demanded, "What did you do?"

Mark looked shocked as he jumped when she spoke and he nervously folded and refolded his arms on his legs, "Why would you think I did anything?" Mark demanded in a squeak of a voice looking from Danny to Emmy before looking away at his pant legs, picking at them.

"You both look like you're on a razor's edge," Emmy crossed her arms under her breasts, "And you are a horrible liar. What happened?"

Mark open his mouth and shut it, looking up like he was unsure of what to say.

"Nothing happened," Danny answered for him and Mark sighed with relief, "He's just in shock 'cause I told him what I was going to be sending you in a few days."

Emmy raised an eyebrow and looked to Mark with a questioning look.

"That's totally what it is," Mark sighed with relief, "I'm not supposed to tell you. It would ruin the surprise."

Danny shot a warning look at Mark that Emmy didn't notice and Mark shot up off the couch, "Well!" he said dramatically, "You two crazy kids have fun, huh? I'm going to my room before I have a heart attack or stroke or panic attack, or whatever. Bye!"

Mark all but ran down the hall, slamming his door behind him. Emmy looked quizzically at Danny, "What really happened?" she pried.

"Mark knows my little secret," Danny shrugged but his eyes were guarded, "I made him promise not to spoil my surprise for you. Apparently, it's very difficult for him to keep a secret."

Emmy snorted, letting the subject drop, "You got that right," she agreed with him and smiled, "Let's sit outside, huh? More privacy that way."

Danny gestured for her to lead as they walked out the door.

Outside on their porch, Emmy had a swinging bed. She waved to it, "Have a seat," she smiled.

Danny did and held his arm out for her, "Have a seat," he copied her with a smirk and Emmy smiled shyly at him as she sat next to him, tucked under his arm.

"So," Danny said after a few minutes of silence, "I win the deal."

Emmy looked up at him, "Win what?" she asked.

"The deal," Danny chuckled, "Playing dumb won't work on me, I know how smart you are. I won fair and square."

"Pfft!" Emmy laughed, "Did not. You didn't' even spend ten minutes with Mark."

"We never established a time limit," Danny poked her nose playfully, "I spent time with him without losing my shit. I win. Now, you're coming with me on tour."

Emmy heart jumped. On tour? Travel the States with Hollywood Undead? Was he for real? He couldn't be. . .

"Danny," Emmy looked up at him, her eyes shining back the starry night sky, "I. . . "

"If you don't want to," Danny interrupted her putting his finger over her lips, his eyes showing the pain he felt that his sincere face hid, "I understand, you have obligations here, I know. You just have to say so, you don't have to lie."

Emmy's face softened and she relaxed into his chest, bringing her hand to his cheek, "I would never lie to you, Danny," she smiled, "I wouldn't gain anything by lying to you, now would I? It's just that going on tour with you, it's a big decision. Especially if I have to make it tonight, considering you leave tomorrow. I would love nothing more than to go with you, honest. I've never left Fort Smith, let alone Arkansas."

Danny's eyes relaxed, "How about you wait till we're back in Arkansas?" he offered her kissing her forehead, "That way you have plenty of time to set up whatever it is you need and time to consider it. How is that?"

Emmy grinned up at Danny and kissed him, "Thank you, Danny," she whispered against his lips then ducked her head to his chest.

"Here," Danny said after a short while pulling away from her, "Lay down with me. We can watch the sky."

Emmy leaned forward and moved so that she could lay tucked under Danny's arm with her head on his chest, "Better?" he asked rubbing her arm.

"Much," she answered slinging her leg over his, "You're so warm."

Danny chuckled, "Thanks," he kissed the top of her head, "You're bad yourself."

Emmy giggled and then hid her face in his chest. She did not just! Ugh!

Danny laughed hard and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "I don't think I'll ever understand why you do that," Danny stated.

"Do what?" Emmy's muffled voice questioned.

"Get embarrassed when you do something like that," Danny answered, "I think it's cute."

Emmy laughed and looked up at Danny, tracing patterns on his chest, "There is nothing cute about me," she informed him with a stubborn look on her face.

"Is so," he smiled, "When you blush," he ran his fingers over her cheek, "When you giggle," he ran his fingers across her lips, "And when you bite your lips like that, that one is really cute."

Emmy stopped biting her lip and looked back down at Danny's chest, "Is not," she mumbled making Danny laugh again.

He tilted her chin up so she was forced to look up into his amazing eyes, his eyes that caught hers and refused to let her attention wander anywhere else but deep within their grey-green depths, "You are one of the most beautiful women I have ever met, Emmy," he said seriously caressing her jaw with his thumb, "And nothing you say will change that. Now, hush and enjoy the view while we still can."

Emmy grinned and nodded, "Ok," she stuck her tongue out at Danny before she settled her head on Danny's chest, closing her eyes.

His heart beat was steady and strong, the total opposite of Emmy's which was beating out of control, rapid and erratic, inside her breast.

Soon, the lullaby of his heart and the whooshing of the air in and out of his lungs lulled Emmy to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - Califorina**

The light woke him.

Damn. Hadn't he closed the shades? Why the hell was it so bright?

He threw his arm over his eyes and groaned. Then felt someone move beside him.

He threw his arm off and looked to his left startled, where the hell was he?

'Oh!' he realized, 'I must have fallen asleep out with Emmy.'

Beside him, sleeping peacefully curled against his side, lay Emmy. Her copper curls had come lose in the night and fan out around her. It looked like fire in the light of the rising sun. He never really noticed how long it was till now, seeing that it came to almost her waist loosed. She looked like a muse with her hair down. He smiled at that thought as he brushed his fingers over her forehead, she was his muse.

She moaned in her sleep and burrowed under his arm further, a small smile on her lips.

He dug his phone out of his pocket, he had to capture it before she woke, and he snapped a picture of her asleep against him.

"Shit!" Danny growled when he saw the time and he carefully shook Emmy's shoulder, "Emmy, you need to wake up. I'm late."

Emmy groaned and shook her head, "No," she mumbled and wrapped her arm around Danny's waist.

"Emmy," Danny brushed her cheek and tried not to laugh at her child like behavior, "You have to wake up. I wasn't supposed to sleep over. We're leaving in like two hours, I have to go. Wake up."

Emmy's eyes parted slowly, trying to adjust to the sun light that was raising over trees, and looked up at Danny with a confused look, "Danny?" she questioned and looked around, "What the hell - Oh! I guess we fell asleep last night."

Danny nodded, "Yeah," he said sitting up on his elbows and rubbed his face, "I have to go, though. We're heading out today in like two hours."

Emmy pouted, sticking her lower lip out, "Do you gotta?" she whined looking up at him.

Danny couldn't help but laugh, "Yes," he answered and held her chin, "Even though I'd much rather lay right back down and go back to sleep with you. I have to, they need me there."

Emmy's eyes looked back at him sadly but she nodded and kept a plain face, "Ok," she sighed and stretched, "I'll drive you if you want."

Danny shook his head, "I'll just call someone to come get me," he said, "It's no big deal."

Emmy laid back down on the swing bed with a groan and looked up at him, one arm thrown above her head, her sweater riding up and showing some of her light belly and he groaned mentally wanting so badly to stroke her stomach. He saw the wheels in her head moving as she thought and he wondered what it was she could be thinking about.

He punched a number into his phone and put it to his ear, waiting for an answer.

"Hello?" the person on the other line said.

"Hey, it's Danny," he said, "I need a ride."

"Where are you at, sir?"

He gave the address.

"There will be a car to get you momentary," they informed him.

"Thank you," he said and pressed 'End Call'.

"When will they be here?" Emmy asked looking up at him.

"About thirty minutes or so," he answered and looked down at her.

She was biting her lip again and Danny had to use all his will power to keep himself from leaning over and biting it for her.

"I promise I'll text you every day," he laid down beside her and brushed a strand of hair off her face.

Her face brightened and she smiled warmly, "I'd like that," she said quietly playing with the hem of her sweater, "Where is their next concert?"

"New York," he replied sadly.

"Wow," she whistled, "That's quite a ways away."

"Tell me about it," he agreed looking out at Emmy and Mark's yard. It wasn't big, per say, but it wasn't small either. The grass was short and thick, but browning from the coming winter. One day he hoped to have a place like this for his daughter.

"How long will you be gone?" Emmy asked in a small voice not looking at him.

"A week or so," he told her and took her hand, "But then we'll be closer. That's when I'm sending you your surprise in the mail."

"What is it?" she asked still not looking at him and he wondered why.

"I can't tell you," he said poking her nose, "That would defeat the purpose of it being a surprise, Emmy."

She nodded her head and Danny turned her chin so that she was looking at him. He saw a deep sadness in her eyes and it dug into his heart like a razor blade. He knew this would be hard, the two weeks he been spending with her hadn't been enough for him either, but he didn't have a choice. God, he wanted to tell her the truth so badly, but what would she say, or act?

Would she feel betrayed? Would she only want him for his fame, like some many others had? But what if it worked out, but turned out like his marriage all over again?

He kept his face closed, keeping the hurt of HER betrayal hidden inside himself.

"You'll love it," he assured her, "I promise you will."

She put her hand on the one he held her face with and smiled, "I'll take your word for it," she chuckled and kissed the palm of his hand.

Her hot lips on his skin sent fire-laced lust shooting up his arm and settled in his groin. He couldn't stop himself from leaning in and kissing Emmy's soft, full lips hard, pressing her tight against his body. Her resounding moan rocked him and he tangled his hand in her hair as he moved his lips against her, taking in the taste of her, as he brushed his tongue over her lips. She parted them for him, wrapping her leg around his hip, moaning as his tongue played with hers.

He wanted to commit how she felt against him to memory, to remember the feel of her lips working against his as they kissed, the feel of her hands as they gripped his arm, her involuntary pull towards him when he bit her lip, all of it. He wouldn't be seeing her for a long time, Danny wanted to be able to remember it all perfectly.

He heard a car pull up and pulled away from Emmy to see a black car waiting outside of her drive way, "My ride is here," he panted against her lips kissing her hard one last time, "I have to go."

Emmy moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck, a look a cross between indecision and desperation in her eyes, and pulled him down to kiss him. If he hadn't already been laying down, Danny would have been knocked to his knees by the sheer emotion that laced her lips as they pushed against his, "Be careful, Daniel," she panted when she finally pulled away, "You hear me? You be careful so that you can come back and see me. Understand?"

Her desperate words pulled at his already conflicted heart, "I will," he promised running his thumb over her lips, "You have my word. The very second we're done with the tour, I'll be on the first flight to Arkansas."

Emmy's beautiful moss-green eyes lit with joy and she bit her lip, "Good," she whispered and quickly, but softly, kissed his cheek, "Now, go on. Before my will gives in and kidnaps you forever."

Danny laughed, "I'll text you when we get settled," he said and stood.

"Okay," she accepted, still holding onto his hand.

Danny looked at her delicate hands, noticing little scars on them now, "Bye, Emmy," he said and let go of her hand.

"Bye," she called after him sadly and it took all of Danny's strength to keep walking to the car and not run back and scoop her into his arms.

Danny's phone buzzed in his pocket and he took his eyes off the never-ending highway to dig it out. A smile eased over his lips as he opened it and saw Emmy's name on the caller i.d.

*Would it be crazy of me to say I miss you? You've only been gone like five hours and already I miss you*

*It's not crazy. I miss u 2. This drive is so boring!*

He could almost picture her beautiful face lift in a smile and her moss-green eyes light with laughter that would come from those full, light pink lips, then she would cover those same lips with her long fingered, delicate hands as a blush bloomed over her soft cheeks, the other hand pushing a loose strand of her abounding copper curls behind her ear.

_Buzz._

*I would imagine a drive to New York would seem to never end. At least we can still text*

Danny's fingers moved with lightening speed.

*So am I. Going so long w/o talking to u would pretty much kill me*

"Dude, really?"

Danny shut his phone and looked over his shoulder at Jordon who was smirking at him, "What?" Danny asked defensively shrugging his jacket over his shoulder.

"Are you seriously texting whoever it is you've been running off to see?" Jordon reached to take his phone but Danny jerked it away.

"So what if it is?" Danny threw back at him.

"Dude," Jordon pushed his shoulder, "Is she hot?"

"Really, Jordon?" Danny said shaking his head, "What makes you think it's a chick?"

"Really, Danny?" Jordon rolled his eyes at him, "We're not fucking stupid, man. You didn't get back until this morning. Not to mention you've ditched us every free second you could! It's gotta be a chick."

"Danny, man!" Johnny cheered jumping down from his bunk, "Why didn't you tell us you had a woman?"

"Danny's got a woman?" Matthew question with a raise eyebrow as he peeked over the top bunk down at them, holding his abounding dark hair out of his face.

"What's she like?" Dylan questioned muting the television and turning around.

Jorel was the last to react, pulling his head phones out and searching the faces of the guys, "What's going on now?" he questioned.

Danny groaned in frustration, he should have known that he couldn't keep Emmy hidden from them forever, "Fine!" he exclaimed turning and facing them, "Her name is Emmy."

"Is she hot?" Jordon persisted lightly punching Danny's arm.

"Yes," Danny answered trying to stay mad but he couldn't and a smirk played on his lips.

"What is she like?" Johnny asked squatting in front of Danny, "Is she cool? Is she fun?"

"Yeah, she's pretty fun," he answered leaning back against the window, "Though, I don't know if she's in to our kinda fun."

"Man," Jordon smacked the back of Danny's seat, "You lost me. She ain't into our fun."

Jordon grumbled and walked to the back of the bus, throwing himself down on his bunk.

"Have you tapped that yet?" Dylan leaned forward and winked at Danny, "You have, haven't you?"

"No, actually," Danny replied rubbing the back of his neck looking down at his phone, "I haven't."

They all gasped, Matthew whistled, "Whoa, man," he said, "Why not? Surely she's gotta be dying to get a piece of Danny, most chicks in world are."

"That's the thing," he pointed to all of them, "She doesn't know who I am, at least not in the famous sense. She doesn't know I'm actually in the band, she just thinks I'm a stage hand."

"No fuckin' way!" Dylan spat his drink out in shock, "She can't be that stupid! Come on!"

"See," Danny leaned in on his legs, "She loves our music, but she's not the type of fan to go all out and find out every little detail about our lives, she's perfectly happy with just listening to our music, which she can sing amazingly by the way. So, she doesn't know what all our names are, what we look like, hell, she doesn't even really know the color of our masks! And that's the beauty of it! She won't be after me for the fame and shit. She'll be after me for me."

Johnny sat back and adjusted his hand as he let out a breath, "Man," he said shaking his head, "That's deep. But it could go bad fast. I mean, with what happened between you and Theresa?"

Danny rubbed his cheek and looked at the floor, "I know," he said evenly, "I've been thinking a lot about that. But, that was different, she knew about me the whole time. This one, Emmy is real, if that makes sense. The fame wouldn't mean a damn thing to her either. I want her to know, I do. But I don't know how to tell her. Though, when we have a show closer to Arkansas again, I'm sending her tickets and backstage pass. I think I'll tell her that way."

"I donna, man," Matthew added, "It's gonna be a damn tough situation all around, really. I mean, I think you should tell her before the news finds out. They won't hold back, you know how they are about juicy little shit like that."

"Yeah, that's why I tried to keep it on the down low when I saw her," Danny told them, "Ya know, go to places that didn't really have people around. That sorta thing. Hell, one of the channels found out I was around when I went to see her the first day I met her and she helped me hide out till they left."

"Man, that's pretty cool of her," Jorel added finally getting in on the conversation, "Did she even ask why?"

"Nah," Danny shrugged, "She figured it was because I was with the band, ya know, a stage hand. She didnt' pry or nothing. She said she knew what it was like and bailed me out."

"What did you say her name was again?" Johnny asked opening his laptop and booting it up.

"Emmy," Danny answered, "But that's all I know. I don't know her last name or anything."

Johnny typed in his computer, waited, and then, after a few minutes, he sat straight in his chair and whistled, looking up at the others, "Well, there's only one 'Emmy' in Fort Smith, Arkansas," he said slowly, "And those are just her initials put together."

Johnny clicked and turned the computer to face them, a picture of Emmy in her teens, if Danny had to guess, "Is this her?" he asked seriously.

"Yeah," Danny answered lifting his brow, "Why?"

"Well, her real name is Emmabeth Mary-Margret Yarborough," Johnny read and rubbed his face, looking up at Danny with a serious face.

"What?" Danny asked leaning forward in his seat, "What is it?"

"You're not gonna like it man," Johnny told him, "It's twisted as fuck, dude."

Matthew jumped down and looked at the screen and covered his mouth, "Damn," he whispered and stepped back, making room for Dylan as he moved over to look.

"Fuck, man," Dylan exclaimed and stumbled back into his seat, one hand on his chest and the other on top of his head.

Jordon hopped out of his bunk and walked over, "What are we -" he started but saw the screen, "Shit."

"What the fuck is it?" Danny insisted but Jorel pushed him back.

"Dude," he said, his face straight, "You got yourself one tough bitch."

"Johnny, show me the God damned screen," Danny insisted sitting forward holding out his hand.

Johnny looked from the laptop to Danny, "Alright," he gave in with a sigh, "You deserve to know."

Johnny put the laptop in Danny's hand and he sat it in his lap, reading what the others had already taken in. Danny's heart stopped and suddenly rage built up inside him at the pictures he was seeing and the words he read.

Suddenly, he was glad he was on the road away from Arkansas, or else he might have been gone to kill someone.

**Author's Note:

Charlie Scene - Jordon

Da Kurlzz - Matthew

Danny - Danny

Funny Man - Dylan

J-Dog - Jorel

Johnny 3 Tears - Johnny


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 - Paradise Lost**

Emmy felt her headphones jerked from her ears and she hissed, cupping her hand to it, "What the hell?" she exclaimed as she watched Mark put the very same ear bud to his ear and frown.

"Okay," Mark demanded dropping the ear bud on the bed where Emmy lay stretched out on her belly, kicking her feet, "What's wrong?"

"What are you talking about?" she huffed and sat her chin on her hands, looking back at the blank, white wall of her room.

"You're listening to Disturbed," Mark stated as he let himself drop onto the bed beside Emmy, "You only listen to them when you're upset and it's Inside The Fire, no less. Which means you're super emotional. So, I repeat, what's wrong?"

Emmy rolled her eyes and looked away from Mark's knowing gaze, turning over on to her back, "Nothing," she huffed putting her hands on her stomach.

"And you are a horrible liar," Mark said sitting up and hovering over Emmy, "What is it? Is it PMS? Is it work? Danny?"

Emmy pushed Mark's face away from hers and sat up, pausing her music, "Really? PMS?" she questioned over her shoulder, "That's your go-to problem for me?"

"Well," Mark rubbed his nose and looked at her, "No, not usually. I know how you get when you PMS, you get all clingy and horny," he wiggled his eyebrows at her, "I was just tossing ideas, I didn't wanna say Danny off the bat."

Emmy dropped her head in her hands, dragging them down, "Ugh," she groaned, "I hate that he is all I can think about. But I love it at the same time! How crazy is that? I mean, we haven't talked in like two days, because they've been getting ready for the concert and all that, they're super busy, ya know."

She growled in frustration.

"So," Mark waved his finger in the air, "What you're saying is you're mad that he hasn't talked to you?"

"No," she grumbled then sighed, "I mean, I don't know. I know it ridiculous to get angry, he's working, so he can't text me. But at the same time, he hasn't even check in, like, even a little."

"I don't follow," Mark confessed dropping his hand in his lap.

"Maybe I am about to start," Emmy sighed heavily and threw herself back against the bed, "I get all weird the week before, ya know, all irrational and shit. I hate it. I makes me feel all weird."

Mark laughed when she did a full body shake when she said weird, "Emmy," he shock his head and curled next to her, pulling her to his chest, "You are something, aren't you?"

Emmy looked up at him suspiciously, "I'm not sure how to take that," she warned.

Mark kissed her forehead and patted her upper back, "Take it as you will," he said dramatically, "I'm subject to your hormones! Nothing I say or do is free of speculation."

Emmy sat back on her elbows and gave Mark a worried look, "You've been watching entirely too much anime lately," she informed him.

"Too much anime?" Mark threw his arm over his face, "I don't know the meaning of the phrase!"

Emmy laughed and hugged his chest tightly, "This is why I put up with all your shit," she kissed his jaw, "You're always there to make me feel better."

Mark hugged her affectionately, rubbing her upper arm, "It's what I'm here for, love," Mark grinned charmingly down at her and winked, "My hopes are that one day I will win you over and finally bed you."

"And then there are these moments when I wanna kick your ass," Emmy shouted pushing off his chest and walking out.

"Is that a maybe?" Mark called down the hall to her as she walked into the living room.

"In your dreams," she muttered under her breath as she dropped down onto the couch in the living room.

Maybe he had a point, she thought. Was she just upset that Danny wasn't talking to her lately? Or what she just being hormonal?

Her phone buzz and she unlocked it, giving a girlish squeal as she did so.

*Sorry I haven't kept up my end of the promise the past few days. It's been crazy as shit here. I only have a few minutes and I just wanted to touch base with u. Miss u Emmy.*

She closed her eyes and held the phone to her chest. He missed her. He actually missed her! Her smile threatened to split her face in two if it grew any wider. Warmth erupted in her chest as she read, and reread his words.

*I totally understand. Take your time. Don't want you getting in trouble on account of me. I miss you too, Danny*

She pressed send and slid down off the arm to lay on the couch with a girlish sigh.

"I take it he texted you then," Mark announced leaning over her.

Emmy opened her eyes and smiled brightly, "Yes," she squealed kicking her legs excitedly.

"I thought as much," he mumbled, "What with all your fan-girl squealing and whatnot."

"It is not fan-girlish at all!" she defended herself, craning her head to look over the arm of the couch to watch Mark mocking her as he walked to the kitchen, "And don't mock me. You know what happened the last time you did."

Mark spun to face her, "You don't mean it," he said.

Emmy wiggled her fingers, "Try me, pretty boy," she grinned evilly.

Mark shuddered, "Fine," he put his hand up in defeat, "I won't mock you."

Emmy nodded once, "Good," she called as she let herself sink back into the couch, holding the phone to her chest, "Last time both of us got hurt."

Mark barked a laughed, "Yeah," he chuckled, "Yeah, we did."

Emmy listened to Mark mess around in the kitchen, banging pots and pans around, as he put dishes away, "Man," Mark grumbled and said something under his breath Emmy didn't catch.

"What was that?" she called out to him.

"Nothing," Mark yelled back at her, "Just really hate being stuck between a rock and a hard place."

"What rock and hard place?" Emmy asked sitting up and climbing on top of the couch.

"Nothing," Mark repeated, "Just something stupid."

Emmy wasn't convinced, but let it drop, yawning and stretching, "Well, it's late," she said and rubbed her eyes, walking up behind Mark and hugging him from behind, "I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Mark turned and hugged her back, kissing the top of her head, "Goodnight, Emmy," he said went back to doing the dishes when she turned and left.

Emmy crawled into her soft, warm bed, curling up under her tan comforter, and closed her eyes. Her last thoughts were of Danny's kiss before she fell asleep.

_The sun warmed her kiss wonderfully as she stretched out on her stomach, soaking in all the warmth she could._

_She felt warm lips gently touch her shoulder and a large hand softly caress her upper back, trailing down. She smiled a small smile and turned her head to see the handsome man beside her smiling down at her._

_"You look beautiful in the morning sun light, Emmy," Danny whispered as he leaned in and kissed her neck._

_Emmy moaned and rolled over, "You're so full of it," she chuckled caressing his cheek as she looked up at him._

_He half chuckled, fingering the necklace he had made for her that hung around her neck, "You can say that all you want," he stated as his fingers trailed down, going just to the line where the sheet covered her bare breasts, "But I am still convinced you are one of the most beautiful I know."_

_Emmy laughed and sat up, crawling onto Danny's lap, letting the white sheet fall down around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself to his chest, "But you know lots of women," she countered leaning in to kiss his chin and nip gently at his sensitive Adam's apple, "So, that compliment doesn't mean much, now does it?"_

_Danny went ridge and his hands tightened on her hips, "You do that and we're going for another round, you and I," Danny warned his voice husky, rocking his hips against hers, showing her just what her lips inspired in him._

_Emmy gasped and clung to him, running her hands through his hair, "Having problems focusing, love?" she purred in his ear with a light nip behind it, "Am I throwing you off your game?"_

_Emmy rocked her hips, rubbing her slicked self against his already growing erection, and he growl, wrapping his arms around her waist, "Emmabeth," he groaned kissing her collar-bone, "If you don't stop that."_

_"What?" she questioned breathlessly as she drug her nails up his back, "You'll what?" _

_"I'll fuck you senseless right now," he groaned and pushed his throbbing erection against her wetness, trembling at the feel of her heat._

_She bit his shoulder hard and cried out when he slide just his tip in. Her whole body trembled, "I guess you don't deal in empty threats," her voice was airy and shaky as she spoke._

_"No, I don't," he answered panting, as if holding off his need to fill her was taking all his strength._

_"Who told you to stop?" she demanded and sank herself down on his raging erection, crying out as he filled her, stretched her._

Emmy shot up in her bed, her hair plastered to her face and her hand gripping her chest. That was the most vivid dream she had ever had, aside from her nightmares. She pushed that away, that wasn't important. She blushed deeply, man, her hormones were really getting the best of her.

She put her hand to mouth to stifle her panting and tossed her heavy comforter off of her. She really needed to grip on herself. She let her feet hang off her bed, just brushing the cool, white and black spotted tile of her room, and dropped her head in her hands. That had been super intense. Her heart jumped just thinking about Danny touching her naked skin. Her whole body shuddered and chills raced across her body. She had been so close, she bit her lip, she was just on the edge of orgasm when she had woken. She clinched her thighs together and moaned, that was not a good idea, that only made the need that much worse.

She sighed and scooted back on her bed, reaching back and flipping her pillow before she laid back down. She drew her sheet up over her nearly naked self, wearing only panties and a long tee-shirt, and closed her eyes. She kept her thoughts blank, away from Danny's sheering kisses and burning touches. She shuddered again and pushed all thought away.

Sleep. Emmy needed to sleep. She had work in the morning and for that she needed rest. She relaxed into her bed and, once more, drifted to numbing sleep.

When her alarm went off, Emmy groaned and covered her head with her extra pillow. Seven o'clock was far too early to be getting up for anything, but she had to get ready for work. She groaned once more, slamming her slightly numb hand down on the 'Off' button of her alarm. She threw the extra pillow aside, her face still buried in her own to hide from the light shown in her room, and slowly sat up, bringing her knees up to her chest though her head remained in her pillow.

"You have a very lovely ass, Emmy."

Emmy didn't even have the energy to react, simply pulling down her shirt to cover her ass and flipping Mark off in the process.

"Touche," Mark tisked at Emmy, "Touche. I've already made coffee and a moderate breakfast. If you don't hurry, I shall devour all the bacon."

Figures all he could cook was bacon, she thought as she pushed herself up, happy for once for her hair which acted as a shield from the worst of the sun's morning rays.

"Look at this yummy, perfectly cooked bacon!" Mark called from the kitchen, "Why, it looks positively good enough to eat!"

"Why are you this chipper!" Emmy whined from her room as she got off her bed and stripped her bed clothes, "It's not noon! No one should be this chipper before noon at the latest!"

Emmy slipped into her matching black bra and panties, tugged on her best work blue jeans, and pulled her work tee-shirt over her unrelenting curls. After her clothes were on and adjusted, she went to the bathroom to relieve herself, before brushing her teeth, pulling her hair back into a bun, and putting eyeliner on. She looked at her reflection, it would do for work, not like she had to impress anyone in the mail delivery department.

She went back to her room, grabbed her messenger bag and her phone, and headed to the kitchen where plate of perfectly cooked bacon and biscuits were laid out, next to a perfect cup of coffee, "I'm glad you're a morning person," she said as she hopped onto the counter to eat, "If you weren't, I would probably starve until lunch."

Mark did a dramatic bow, "All for malady," he said with a smile taking a drink of his coffee, "I'm just glad you cook the rest of the time, else I would starve on a daily basis."

"No, you wouldn't" Emmy said after a gulp of coffee, "You would order out before you let yourself starve, and you know it."

Mark waved away her comment, "No," he said flipping more bacon, "Surely I would waste away to nothing if it weren't for your wonderful food from that one site, what was it?"

"Pinterest," Emmy answered and split her biscuit open, placing her halves of bacon into it to make a bacon sandwich, "It's great. I learned everything I know from it."

"Well, I'm just glad you can cook," Mark repeated and lift his shirt to show the wonderful body of muscle he had worked so hard for, "I wouldn't wanna lose these puppies."

Emmy threw a small piece of biscuit at his abs, "Whatever," she laughed hopping down from the counter and sat her plate and cup in the sink, "I'm off to work now. I'll see you around three?"

"Maybe you will," he said, "Maybe you won't. The world is so uncertain in these dark times."

Emmy rolled her eyes as Mark threw his arm over his eyes as he spoke, "Yeah, okay, whatever," she laughed and leaned in to kiss his cheek, "I'll see you when I get home. Bye."

"Goodbye, fair maiden!" Mark called after her.

"Stop watching the dark-age movies!" Emmy shouted back with a laugh and walked toward her car.

Something caught her eye. She couldn't place it, but something wasn't right. She looked around her yard, nothing seemed out of place, but yet, she had a feeling something something was different. She turned to her car and stopped, her heart dropping to her toes and her lungs seized.

Walking up her driveway, in the well tailored white dress shirt, black tie, and black slacks, was the one man she tried to push out of her life forever. His silver, combed back hair shown in the early morning light and his cold, dark eyes gave nothing of his intent away.

Now her heart was in double time, trying to flee the stress of her body by breaking its way out of her chest, but her lungs weren't pulling in the oxygen she need to compensate for the erratic racing of her heart.

The tall, muscular man stopped in front of her, looking down at her like he had so long ago, and Emmy was transported back to the time in her late teenage years when this same man would stare down at her and give her that same judgmental look, weighing every little detail his all seeing eyes took in at a mere glance.

"Emmabeth," he said calmly his voice gruff and deep, a voice that made her feel small and powerless all over again, "I told you, we need to talk."

But Emmy couldn't talk, her throat was closed, tightened by fear. She couldn't breath, let alone speck. She was that young girl all over again, tormented by her own flesh and blood father, abandoned by the death of her mother, and rejected by all others of her kin. She was that small, frail, powerless girl all over again at the look in that old man's eyes.

"Grandfather," she whimpered and took a step back, tripping on the barley raised edge of a rock poking out of seam of her driveway, crying out as she tried to catch herself on her hands, but failed, scrapping her palms as they gave under her and her head smacked painfully against the cement.

Her vision blurred and white, shining spots floated in her vision and, for a second, when he reached out to help her up, she saw the man who had abused her most of her life and she let out a blood chilling scream filled with the pure terror gripped her body.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - Comin' In Hot**

Emmy couldn't pull her eyes off of her grandfather. Her heart was racing. This had to be a dream, or a nightmare more likely, this couldn't actually be happening. It couldn't, it just couldn't.

She couldn't breath and her heart wouldn't stop racing. She couldn't move, her body wouldn't responded to her telling it to get the hell up and run. This couldn't be happening.

"Emmy!" Mark shouted out the door, "Are you - Hey! What the hell are you doing! Get the fuck away from her!"

'Mark,' she screamed in her brain but her mouth wouldn't move, the terror of seeing those dark, guarded eyes numbed her whole body, 'Help me.'

She could hear Mark running towards her over the pounding of her blood in her ears, "Look, I don't know how you are, or what you are doing here, but you need to leave," Mark demanded as he bent down and helped Emmy stand on shaky legs, wrapping his arms around her, "Now, or I'm calling the cops."

Emmy clung to Mark with a startling grip as he half carried and half drug back into the house. He slammed the door behind him and locked it and took Emmy to the couch where he sat her between his legs in front of him, crossed her arms over her chest with his, and held her to his chest, "Breathe, Emmy," Mark ordered softly, "In," he inhaled, "And out," he exhaled.

Emmy focused on the movement of Mark's chest against her back and willed her lungs to draw in air as his did, "There you go," he encouraged when she responded, "Just like that, you're okay now, Emmy, you're safe. Nothing can get you here."

She inhaled and exhaled again, feeling the grips of her panic attack subside. She was okay. She repeated this over and over, she was okay, she was safe. Her whole body began to shake uncontrollably in Mark's arms and tears streamed down her face.

"Shh," Mark soothed as he turned her around and held her to his chest, rubbing her back up and down, "You're okay, you don't need to cry, Emmy, you're safe. He can't get you."

"How did he find me?" she rasped against his chest as she clung to him, "How did he know?"

"Who was he?" Mark questioned gently wrapping his arms around her.

"My grandfather," she answered in a breath.

"His dad?" Mark pushed further.

Emmy nodded and closed her eyes. Why now? Hadn't he had his chance to 'talk' when everything happened ten years ago? He had his chance to say all he wanted, but no, he refused to even claim her as his granddaughter. The familiar fury from years past built in her chest, Emmy wasn't a scared, abused seventeen year old girl anymore. She was a strong, independent twenty-seven year old.

"He had no right," she hissed as anger built in her, "He had no right at all. Not after all happened."

"I know you might not want to talk about it," Mark started holding Emmy's shoulders, "And God knows I've never pestered you to tell me, that would just have been wrong, but what happened? I only ever heard rumors and the story the news spun, but what really happened?"

Emmy felt herself begin to withdraw from Mark, to pull inside of herself at the deadly questions he asked, but she forced herself to stay present, not to go that empty place in her mind. Emmy took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds and then slowly let it out as she looked up into Mark's sapphire eyes. He was right, he never had asked about it all, they had been friends for as long as she could remember and never once during . . . everything had he ever asked about her side, actually he never brought it up. She loved her dear friend more now as she realized a simple fact: Mark knew that, when she was ready, Emmy would tell him what he needed to know, if that was anything at all.

"Do you mean the whole story," she asked quietly looking at her hands, "Or just the part about Mathias?"

"Mathias?"

Emmy tipped her head to point outside, "Him," she answered.

"Which ever you want to tell me," he said with a gentle smile and her heart warmed.

"Mathias Yarborough is my grandfather on my father's side," she said slowly in a voice barely above a whisper, "He used to visit us all the time before Mom died, before everything changed. After that, we never saw him. That was shortly after my twelfth birthday."

The silence after her words stretched on and she looked up to see Mark's patient, waiting gaze. He wasn't going to push her into anything, and for that she was thankful, "After," her voice caught and she forced herself to continue, Mark needed to understand why she was the way she was now, "After the abuse started, Mathias never spoke to us. I honestly feel as if he knew, or at least had a feeling, of what his son was doing to me, but he never said a word. Then after . . ." her voice trailed off, the memory of that bloody, horrific night forever etched into her mind, into her very soul, "He denied that what I said was true, that I made it up or it was a delusion I created to deal with the lose of my mom, in order to justify what I did to his son. He said I was no kin of his and turned away from me when I needed my family the most."

She sat there, knowing the bits she had left out would burn Mark's curiosity, as she waited for him to absorb all she said, be it little.

"Is that why you always cover yourself up?" Mark pondered.

Emmy was thrown aback by this, not expect this of all the questions the thought he might ask, "Yes," she answered simply.

"What did he do to you?"

Emmy's heart lurched and her breath caught, feeling her marks twinge, "He, uh," she whispered trying to regain her voice, it was over now, he couldn't hurt her anymore, "He whipped me, on the lower back mostly, and the backs of my thighs."

"With an actually whip?" Mark inquired, his voice and body changing ever so slightly that Emmy wondered if it actually had.

"Yes," she answered in a still quiet voice.

"He better be glad he's not around," Mark's tone changed, became dark and dangerous.

Emmy looked up at him staring into the distance, his fists clenched, his jaw tight. He looked ready to beat the living hell out of a dead man. Emmy smiled weakly at this reaction.

Then he looked down at her, his eyes softening, "I know the answer will probably be no," he said gently, "But, can I see them?"

Emmy didn't know how to respond and her hands moved instinctively to cover her lower back.

"You don't have to," Mark said tucking a loose strand of her hair back behind her ear, "I was just curious."

"No," Emmy countered moving her hands back to her lap where she wrung them, "It's okay."

She slowly raised her shirt over her head, her arms shaking as she did so, her heart racing. She pulled her shirt over her head and held it around herself with her arms still in it as she closed her eyes and turned so that Mark could see.

Emmy knew what Mark's eyes would take in first; the long, ragged, thin lines of slightly puckered shin where the whip her father loved so much to use had broken her flesh over and over again, crisscrossing over each other. Next, if he bothered to look closer, he would see small round scars scattered over her entire back where he was so fond of putting out his cigarettes.

She felt his finger tips brush the raised flesh on her back and flinched away out of reflex, "Sorry," he said quickly, "It just doesn't' seem real. Did he give you the scars on your hands, too?"

Emmy nodded, not trusting her voice.

"I knew it wasn't because you got into blackberry bushes," he stated and she felt him sit back in the couch, "Why did you lie?"

"Have you ever been afraid for your life?" she asked quietly slipping her shirt back over her head and let her hair down, still facing away from him.

"No, I haven't, actually," he confessed in a caring tone.

"Then you wouldn't understand why I never told a soul," she rasped trying to stay out of the deep, dark nothing in the farthest corner of her mind, the one that always protected her when things got too much.

"I wish you had told me," Mark said sadly, "So that you at least didn't have to face it alone."

"If you had known, Mark," she turned her empty, but sad pale green eyes to him, "What could you have done? I still would have faced it alone. Every night in that basement, alone with a monster, I would have been alone."

Mark grabbed her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb, "You still could have confided in me," he whispered, his eyes full of sadness as well, wishing he could have been there for his closest friend.

Emmy's eyes teared up and she turned so that she could lay against Mark's chest, curling in a ball, "Don't feel like I didn't trust you, Markus," Emmy said into his chest, "Please, it wasn't that I didn't, but that I was just afraid, afraid you wouldn't believe me and afraid that if you did, you would try to do something and get hurt."

Mark chuckled lightly and wrapped his arms around Emmy, "Now that I think about it," he said as he leaned his cheek to her forehead, "I'm kinda glad you didn't. I might have been the one to kill him."

Emmy almost laughed, almost. But the grim fact that her past had come into her present stopped her, "What are we going to do about Mathias?"

"Right now I think we just wait and see what happens," he assured her, "If he gets drastic or doesn't listen to my warning, we call the police and file a complaint."

Emmy nodded, "Shit," she sighed and pulled her phone out of her pocket, "I have to call work. I'm not going to be able to go in today now, not after that. I might have another panic attack at the drop of a hat."

Mark laughed at that statement, "You tend to freak out pretty easily," he agreed and ruffled her hair as she put the phone to her ear, telling her boss she'd had another panic attack and wouldn't be able to make it in that day.

Her phone buzzed in her lap and she reached for it without looking, her eyes on the anime Inuyasha. She unlocked it and forced her eyes away from the screen to her phone, laughing as Kagome shouted for Inuyasha to sit.

*Hey, I know it's been a while. We're leaving NY tonight. I'll b able to txt more on the drive. Just wanted to touch base*

She smiled, his words banishing the memory of the events that accrued a few hours ago, and quickly replied.

*Okay. I missed you. I feel like it's been forever since we last talked. I can't wait to see you again. I really miss you.*

*I miss u 2. Hopefully we'll b close soon. U'll kno when I kno, I promise. I still have my surprise waiting for you*

She giggled and replied.

*The suspense is killing me! Can I have a hint! Please? -puppy dog face-*

*Damnit, I can almost picture that look on ur face. It's too damn cute to refuse. Fine. But only 1 hint: You get to see me the whole time*

Emmy's breath hitched, she'd get to see him the whole time! Was she going to be staying with him? Her face flushed, that would be amazing. But maybe it was something else, the way he talked about it, it seemed like a much bigger deal than just staying with him, where ever they were going to be. So, what could it be? She tapped her lips with her finger, knotting her eyebrows.

*That is a horrible hint :( it gives me no clues whatsoever! Grr*

*Lmfao. That was the point. Don't wanna ruin the surprise just yet. U still have 2 wait*

Emmy pouted.

*No fair -pouty face- *

*Is so :P *

*Is not! It's so totally not fair! It's evil, that's what it is. Pure evil*

*Rotflmfao. U love it and u kno it*

Emmy laughed and without thinking replied back.

*Oh, so very much do I love the evilness of your wicked ways. If only I could have a little more taste of them*

She pressed send and then the blood drained from her face. Did she really just send that? Please, God, tell her she hadn't. She went back to her messages.

"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed, "I did!"

She stared at her phone, mortified. They had only been . . . well, whatever they were doing for a month now! Oh, my God! How could she have sent that!

"What?" Mark demanded as he came jogging into the living room with his towel hanging lossy around his muscular waist, "What did you do?"

"This!" she all but screeched and turned the message to him, "I can't believe I did that! Why would I do that, Mark, why? Oh, God! What is he going to say!"

Mark read and reread her text and tried to suppress the laughter that raise in him, "I don't see why your freaking out about that," Mark managed to say past a laugh that finally escaped him, "That's kinda hot, just sayin'. Go you, I'm finally rubbing off on you."

Mark winked at her and walked back down the hall.

"That is not a good thing!" Emmy called after him, "Not even a little!"

"We shall see!" he yelled back, "Just wait till he replies. That will determine the good or bad of the rubbing-off-ness."

"Ew!" Emmy shrieked, "Do you even hear yourself when you speck!"

"Yes," Mark called back happily, "I love every word I hear."

"You are fucked up," Emmy called back to him.

"In many, many ways, Emmy," he answered her.

She chuckled and looked down at her phone, which still hadn't gone off. Oh, God. She screwed up bad. Why didn't she pay attention to what she wrote!

Emmy's phone buzzed and she was terrified to answer it.

"Mark!" she screamed.

He came running down the hall, trying to button his pants as he slid in on his socks, "What now?"

"He replied," she squeaked.

"You want me to read it?"

Emmy nodded, nibbling on her bottom lip.

Mark sighed, "Pussy," he muttered under his breath as he took the phone and read the text.

Mark's eyes went huge and he looked from the phone to Emmy then back to the phone, "Damn," he whistled.

*Oh, u would, would u? Which kind of evilness? I have many forms of it*

Emmy squeaked and put her hands to her mouth.

Mark grinned evilly and quickly replied before Emmy could stop him.

"What the hell did you just do?" Emmy demanded.

Mark tossed her phone to her and slid out of her reach, "Read for yourself," he said and slid down the hall, "You're on your own now. You don't anymore help from me.

Emmy looked down at her phone and blushed hard.

*Really now? Is one of them what you could do to me? Make me scream your name, perhaps?*

Emmy didn't know how to respond and, as she sat there staring at her phone, Danny sent another message.

*That's one of my talents in regards to my evilness, I could think of a few things 2 give u a better taste ;) If ur up 4 it*

Emmy couldn't stop the giggle that rose in her throat and she brought her phone to her chest.

*Oh? What do you have in mind?*

She could feel her pulse jolting through body as she awaited his replied.

*Oh, mayb something below the belt. Or above it, mayb both. We'll just have 2 wait and c ;) *

Her heart was racing as her dream came to mind.

*I guess I have no choice but to wait*

She could almost hear Danny's dark chuckle and feel him nuzzle her neck in response and she shivered, cupping her hand under her ear where his lips would burn into her flesh.

*Hey, gtg. Txt ya later. Miss you Emmy*

"Miss you too, Danny," she whispered as she typed, pressing send and leaning her head against the arm of the couch.

Oh, the things she would let Danny do to her, she thought and blushed covering her face.


End file.
